What is a total testosterone test, and what are normal testosterone levels?

What does the testosterone test measure?

A testosterone levels test measures the hormone testosterone in the blood. It is present in both sexes and helps control sex drive and muscle and bone growth. MedlinePlus

Part of the testosterone in the blood is bound to SHBG in an inactive form; a total test counts bound and unbound testosterone together. Testing.com

Why is the testosterone test ordered?

• For symptoms of low testosterone in males, such as low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, infertility, thinning bones or anemia without a known cause. MedlinePlus
• To monitor people taking hormone therapy or medicines that affect testosterone, and in children to look into early or delayed puberty. MedlinePlus

What are typical testosterone ranges?

ARUP Laboratories publishes age-based intervals for adult males; the AUA guideline sets a diagnostic cut-off. ARUP Laboratories

Reference ranges differ between laboratories and testing methods, and many also differ by age, sex, pregnancy or the phase of the menstrual cycle. The range printed on your own report is the one that applies to your result, and a clinician interprets it alongside your history.

The American Urological Association uses a total testosterone below 300 ng/dL as a reasonable cut-off, and says low testosterone should be diagnosed only after two early-morning measurements on separate occasions, together with symptoms or signs. American Urological Association

ARUP notes that immunoassays are imprecise at the low levels found in females and children, for whom a mass spectrometry test is recommended. ARUP Laboratories

What can affect testosterone results?

• Time of day: the AUA guideline calls for early-morning draws. American Urological Association
• You may need to fast or pause certain medicines; ask your provider, and do not stop a medicine on your own. MedlinePlus
• Changes in SHBG, the protein that carries testosterone, can make total testosterone look normal while free testosterone is not, or the reverse. Testing.com
• Biotin, often found in hair, skin and nail supplements, can interfere with some lab tests and cause incorrect results. Tell the person ordering the test if you take it. FDA

When should you talk to a clinician about a testosterone result?

• A testosterone result alone cannot diagnose a condition; abnormal results with symptoms are discussed with a clinician, who may repeat the test. MedlinePlus

DiscoverMedica explains what a test measures and what named sources publish. It does not interpret individual results; the clinician who ordered your test, or one you choose, does.

Where can you get a testosterone test?

A clinician can order it as part of routine or follow-up care. Some services also let you order lab tests yourself; check that a service’s panel includes this marker, which laboratory runs it, and who reviews the result with you.

• Function HealthAnnual membership for broad lab panels, drawn at Quest sites or at home.
• Quest HealthOrder individual lab tests from Quest Diagnostics online, without a doctor’s visit. Lists “Total testosterone blood test” at $69.00, as listed on its site, checked September 23, 2026.

Testosterone Test: questions, answered

Sources

1. MedlinePlus: Testosterone Levels Test
2. ARUP Laboratories: Testosterone (Adult Males) (test 0070130)
3. American Urological Association: Testosterone Deficiency Guideline
4. Testing.com: Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) Test
5. FDA: Biotin Interference with Lab Tests

Last reviewed October 7, 2026. Every source above was checked on or before that date. Educational information only, not medical advice; it does not replace a conversation with a licensed clinician. DiscoverMedica does not employ clinicians.