Total Protein optimal range and reference range

Compiled by Alina Radu, founder of Sera, from the published sources below · Last reviewed November 9, 2026

Sera's bands for Total Protein:

Optimal 6.5 – 8 g/dL (65 – 80 g/L); sufficient 6 – 8.3 g/dL (60 – 83 g/L); out of range below 6 or above 8.3 g/dL.

Evidence grade: Published reference interval. A band that primarily reflects a published adult laboratory or population reference interval. It is not necessarily applicable to every assay or laboratory.

All units

Unit	Optimal	Sufficient	Out of range
g/dL	6.5 – 8	6 – 8.3	below 6 or above 8.3
g/L	65 – 80	60 – 83	below 60 or above 83

What the evidence says

The acceptable band of 6.0 to 8.3 g/dL (60 to 83 g/L) is a standard laboratory interval (University of Michigan; Labcorp prints 6.0 to 8.5). The optimal band of 6.5 to 8.0 g/dL follows the narrower published intervals: MedlinePlus gives 6.5 to 8.1 g/dL, and UK laboratories use 60 to 80 g/L, so a UK report flags above 80. Both tiers are reference intervals; no outcome study defines an optimal total protein. Total protein is albumin plus globulin, so an abnormal result is read by looking at which of the two has moved.

Sources

Protein Electrophoresis, Serum — Michigan Medicine Laboratories (MLabs), University of Michigan, 2026 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceTotal protein 6.0 to 8.3 g/dL from age 12, the same as Sera's sufficient band. The page is undated; opened October 2026.
Hepatic Function Panel (7) (test 322755) sample report — Labcorp, 2016 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceLabcorp's sample report prints total protein 6.0 to 8.5 g/dL. Confirms the lower limit of 6.0; its upper limit is 0.2 above Sera's. Report dated 2016.
Total protein — MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, US National Library of Medicine, 2025 · Government / public-health guidanceNormal total protein is 6.5 to 8.1 g/dL (65 to 81 g/L). Matches Sera's optimal lower edge of 6.5 and sits 0.1 above its optimal upper edge of 8.0. Reviewed 5/19/2025.
Total Protein — York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Laboratory Medicine test directory, 2026 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceUK harmonised range 60 to 80 g/L. Matches Sera's sufficient lower edge of 60 and optimal upper edge of 80 g/L. The page is undated; opened October 2026.
Total Protein — Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Pathology tests A to Z, 2026 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceTotal protein 60 to 80 g/L, the same UK range from a second trust. The page is undated; opened October 2026.

What Total Protein measures

The total of all the proteins in your blood, mainly albumin plus the globulins. The liver makes most of it, so it reflects liver capacity, nutrition, hydration, and immune activity.

Total protein is a broad snapshot of liver function, nutrition, and inflammation. Low levels can point to liver disease, poor nutrition, or protein loss through the kidneys or gut, while high levels often reflect long-term inflammation, infection, or dehydration. It is most useful read alongside albumin and the albumin-to-globulin (A/G) ratio.

Related liver & pancreas health markers

See Total Protein in the full list of biomarker ranges

This page is a reference for practitioners, not medical advice. Sera's bands are practitioner targets for structured review, not diagnostic thresholds, and Sera does not diagnose or recommend treatment. Read a result alongside the interval printed by the issuing laboratory and the client's history and symptoms. Range set: Sera Production, version 1.0, last reviewed November 9, 2026.