Amylase 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 Amylase:

  • Optimal 30 – 100 U/L (30 – 100 IU/L); sufficient 25 – 125 U/L (25 – 125 IU/L); out of range below 25 or above 125 U/L.

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

UnitOptimalSufficientOut of range
U/L30 – 10025 – 125below 25 or above 125
IU/L30 – 10025 – 125below 25 or above 125

What the evidence says

Not specific to the pancreas — salivary disease, a perforated ulcer and ordinary renal impairment all raise it — and it clears within days, so a late sample can be normal in genuine pancreatitis. Lipase is the better single test; this one earns its place by being ordered alongside. Both bands are laboratory reference intervals, not outcome targets: the inner band is Mayo Clinic Laboratories' adult interval (28 to 100 U/L) and the outer band of 25 to 125 is one used by US hospital laboratories for adults under 70. Intervals differ between methods (MedlinePlus quotes 40 to 140), so a result near an edge has to be read against the interval on the report.

Assay: Results differ meaningfully between platforms and methods. Compare against the interval printed by the issuing laboratory before acting on a borderline value.

Sources

  • AMS - Overview: Amylase, Total, Serum — Mayo Clinic Laboratories, 2026 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceAdult reference interval 28 to 100 U/L. Matches Sera's optimal upper edge of 100; the lower limit of 28 is close to Sera's 30.
  • AMYLASE (Test Code LAB4012) — Kootenai Health Laboratory test catalog, 2026 · Laboratory / reference-interval sourceReference range 25 to 125 U/L for ages 19 to under 70 (20 to 160 from age 70). Matches Sera's sufficient band exactly.
  • Amylase - blood — MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, US National Library of Medicine, 2025 · Government / public-health guidanceNormal range 40 to 140 U/L, higher than Sera's band at both ends; shows the spread between methods.

What Amylase measures

A starch-digesting enzyme produced by the pancreas and the salivary glands.

Raised in acute pancreatitis, but not only there: salivary gland disease, a perforated ulcer and ordinary kidney impairment all lift it, and it clears within a few days so a late sample can be normal in genuine pancreatitis. Lipase is the more specific of the pair, which is why the two are read together.

Related liver & pancreas health markers

See Amylase in the full list of biomarker ranges

About the author

Alina Radu is the founder of Sera and a software engineer. The idea started with her own Hashimoto's tests, scattered across years without the big picture. She is not a clinician: these ranges are compiled from the published sources linked on each page, with every source named. Alina Radu on LinkedIn

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.