Strep test cost without insurance
The median cash price for Rapid strep test is $59.05 per test across 2,451 US hospitals that publish a self-pay price. Most hospitals (the middle 80%) charge between $18.41 and $171.36.
A strep test checks a throat swab for the bacteria that cause strep throat. The rapid test (87880) gives a result in minutes in the office. If it is negative in a child, doctors often send a throat culture (87070) to confirm, which takes a day or two. The test price is separate from the visit, so the total depends on where you go.
Collected Oct 26, 2026 One price per hospital, from each hospital's own price file
Strep test prices by type
87880 is the rapid strep antigen test and is used in the state table. 87070 is a bacterial culture of a throat or other swab, used to confirm a negative rapid test.
| Procedure | Hospitals | Middle 80% | Median | Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid strep test Rapid strep A antigen test from a throat swab, read visually · code 87880 | 2,451 | $18.41–$171.36 | $59.05 | $16.53median 3.6× |
| Bacterial culture (wound) Bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid) · code 87070 | 3,041 | $15.15–$232.20 | $67.60 | $8.62median 7.8× |
What the hospital price covers
The price is for the lab test. The exam or visit fee is usually separate.
“Most charge” is the middle 80% of hospitals (10th to 90th percentile), so one mistyped line in a hospital file cannot stretch it. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price for the code. “Medicare” is Medicare's 2026 national base rate for the same service outside a hospital stay, including the patient's share (the hospital outpatient, lab or hospital clinic rate); “median 3×” means the median cash price is three times that rate.
Rapid strep test: median by state
States with at least 5 hospitals, cheapest median first. Pick a state for its strep test prices and cheapest hospitals.
- New Jersey$19.01
- Louisiana$23.49
- Arkansas$26.65
- Hawaii$29.40
- Mississippi$34.50
- Tennessee$36.80
- Arizona$37.47
- Puerto Rico$37.50
- Nevada$37.93
- New York$40.00
- West Virginia$40.75
- Maine$41.48
- Missouri$42.30
- Alabama$43.80
- Wisconsin$45.58
- Connecticut$46.63
- Michigan$47.45
- Montana$48.00
- Oklahoma$48.56
- Nebraska$48.90
- Kentucky$49.59
- Wyoming$50.00
- Iowa$53.20
- Minnesota$54.34
- North Carolina$54.88
- Oregon$55.13
- Ohio$57.20
- Massachusetts$61.81
- Idaho$62.76
- New Mexico$62.80
- Illinois$63.00
- Pennsylvania$63.60
- Vermont$67.00
- Kansas$71.85
- Washington$72.05
- Georgia$72.10
- Maryland$72.37
- South Dakota$75.65
- New Hampshire$77.43
- Indiana$78.19
- North Dakota$81.95
- South Carolina$87.50
- Alaska$87.87
- Virginia$89.50
- Texas$98.80
- California$107.89
- Delaware$114.75
- Utah$116.01
- Florida$131.75
- Colorado$142.19
Rapid strep test: median by metro area
Metro areas with at least 10 hospitals.
- Atlanta, GA$72.10
- Austin, TX$77.77
- Boston, MA$75.00
- Charlotte, NC$105.48
- Chicago, IL$47.50
- Cincinnati, OH$56.61
- Cleveland, OH$74.10
- Columbus, OH$55.58
- Dallas, TX$236.00
- Denver, CO$193.78
- Detroit, MI$47.45
- Duluth, MN$54.78
- Houston, TX$98.80
- Indianapolis, IN$114.60
- Jackson, MS$54.92
- Kansas City, MO$70.75
- Los Angeles, CA$84.00
- Louisville, KY$86.56
- Memphis, TN$34.76
- Miami, FL$255.18
- Milwaukee, WI$42.50
- Minneapolis, MN$31.72
- Nashville, TN$89.18
- New Orleans, LA$15.36
- New York, NY$19.43
- Philadelphia, PA$37.29
- Phoenix, AZ$36.21
- Pittsburgh, PA$63.30
- Portland, OR$62.40
- Richmond, VA$565.00
- Riverside, CA$50.00
- Sacramento, CA$124.80
- San Antonio, TX$710.37
- San Diego, CA$110.76
- San Francisco, CA$171.36
- Seattle, WA$76.32
- St. Louis, MO$61.92
- Tampa, FL$401.43
- Tulsa, OK$48.56
- Virginia Beach, VA$89.50
- Washington, DC$112.75
Paying cash: what to do
- Ask for the price of the test and the visit separately; urgent care and clinics often quote them together.
- A clinic or urgent care center usually costs much less than an emergency room for the same test.
- A negative rapid test in a child often leads to a second charge for the culture, so ask about it up front.
Questions
How much does a strep test cost without insurance?
The median hospital cash price for Rapid strep test (code 87880) is $59.05 per test across 2,451 US hospitals that publish a self-pay price; most charge $18.41 to $171.36. By state, the median runs from $19.01 in New Jersey to $142.19 in Colorado. The price is for the lab test. The exam or visit fee is usually separate.
Do I need a doctor's order for a strep test?
The test is ordered by a clinician after an exam, and some pharmacy clinics and urgent care centers offer it directly.
How long does a strep test take?
The rapid test takes about 5 to 15 minutes. A culture takes one to two days.
Why might a second test be needed?
The rapid test can miss some infections, so a negative result in a child is often confirmed with a culture.