How many units is 1 mL on an insulin syringe?

1 mL is 100 units on a U-100 insulin syringe and 40 units on a U-40 syringe. Units measure volume only; how many mg that volume holds depends on the concentration of the solution.

For research use only. Not medical advice. This page converts an amount; it does not recommend one.

What 1 mL holds at common concentrations

Vial and waterConcentrationAmount in that volume
5 mg in 2 mL2.5 mg/mL2.5 mg (2,500 mcg)
10 mg in 3 mL3.33 mg/mL3.333 mg (3,333 mcg)
10 mg in 2 mL5 mg/mL5 mg (5,000 mcg)
15 mg in 2 mL7.5 mg/mL7.5 mg (7,500 mcg)
10 mg in 1 mL10 mg/mL10 mg (10,000 mcg)

Concentration is the mg in the vial divided by the mL of water added. Units measure volume: 100 units fill 1 mL on a U-100 syringe.

Convert another amount

Syringe type
Concentration
Syringe units
50
Volume
0.5 mL
Amount
2.5 mg (2,500 mcg)
Per unit
50 mcg

At 5 mg/mL on a U-100 syringe.

0.5 mL

Draw 0.50 mL (≈ 50 units on a 0.5 mL syringe)

Common questions

Do insulin syringe units depend on the peptide?

No. Units are marks of volume: on a U-100 syringe, 100 units fill 1 mL. What changes between peptides is the concentration of the solution, which is the mg in the vial divided by the mL of water added.

What if my syringe is U-40?

A U-40 syringe has 40 marks per mL, so the same volume reads as 2.5 times fewer units. Read the scale printed on the syringe and use the matching column.