Cortisol Level Calculator — evidence-based tool to check your cortisol level. Includes formula, tips, and interpretation guide.
Informational only — not a diagnosis. The Cortisol Level Calculator is an educational tool for a serum cortisol result at a stated collection time. It does not diagnose, rule out, or treat a condition, and it should not be used to start, stop, or change medicine. For related context, see Creatinine Clearance Calculator and BMI Calculator.
Use the page only with the units and context shown beside each field. sample collection time and serum cortisol in µg/dL are not interchangeable with a different specimen, collection time, assay, device, or population. Preserve the date and original laboratory report, because an apparently precise comparison can still be wrong when a reference interval or method has changed.
Cortisol follows a daily rhythm and is influenced by stress, sleep, illness, shift work, steroid medicines, pregnancy, and the reason the test was ordered. A random serum result generally cannot diagnose adrenal disease on its own; clinicians may use timed, salivary, urine, or stimulation/suppression tests instead. Enter the time printed on the report rather than assuming every sample is a morning sample. If a result is unexpected, contact the ordering clinician, especially when symptoms are severe or steroid medicines have recently changed. A qualified clinician should interpret an abnormal, unexpected, urgent, or personally concerning result with the symptoms, history, examination, medicines, and the laboratory's own range.
Compare cortisol with the selected morning or afternoon illustrative interval. The illustrative intervals are 5–25 µg/dL for a morning sample and 2–14 µg/dL for an afternoon sample. The exact laboratory method and collection time matter.
Reference intervals describe the population and method used by a laboratory; they are not universal treatment thresholds. The reporting laboratory's interval normally takes priority over an example shown here. Age, sex, pregnancy, cycle phase, collection time, fasting status, assay calibration, medicines, and jurisdiction can all change what a result means.
For the named source behind this page, see MedlinePlus cortisol test.The sources are provided so the assumptions can be checked, not so a web calculator can replace the ordering clinician or the laboratory report.
The result is best treated as a prompt to verify context. A value near a boundary can move between categories because of biological variation, rounding, collection conditions, device or assay differences, and the chosen reference population. Repeat testing, when clinically appropriate, should follow the clinician's instructions rather than an arbitrary schedule.
Enter the time printed on the report rather than assuming every sample is a morning sample. If a result is unexpected, contact the ordering clinician, especially when symptoms are severe or steroid medicines have recently changed. If symptoms are severe, rapidly worsening, or urgent, seek appropriate medical care instead of waiting for a calculator comparison. Do not infer a diagnosis from a normal-looking result, because a calculator cannot see symptoms, examination findings, medication history, or related laboratory values.
Informational only — not a diagnosis. Share the raw value, unit, collection date, reference interval, and relevant context with a qualified clinician. That information is more useful than reporting the category alone.
Informational only — not a diagnosis. This calculator is general educational information, not medical advice, a laboratory report, a diagnosis, a treatment recommendation, or an emergency service. Reference ranges and clinical practice vary by laboratory, assay, jurisdiction, age, sex, pregnancy, medicines, and patient history. Discuss results and care decisions with a qualified clinician.