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The differences between certification specialists and lactation consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lactation consultant has an average salary of $73,158, which is higher than the $45,265 average annual salary of a certification specialist.
The top three skills for a certification specialist include patients, medical terminology and surgical procedures. The most important skills for a lactation consultant are patients, IBCLC, and patient care.
| Certification Specialist | Lactation Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $45,265 | $73,158 |
| Hourly rate | $21.76 | $35.17 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 43,565 | 5,809 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
A certification specialist is primarily in charge of conducting inspections and assessments, ensuring operations and procedures comply with certification guidelines and requirements. Although their responsibilities may vary upon their industry or organization of employment, it usually entails reviewing certification applications and system plans, arranging schedules and tests, organizing orientations, providing advice or guidance to new members of the workforce, and implementing strategies. Moreover, they also perform administrative support tasks such as processing the necessary documents, facilitating activities, and coordinating with internal and external parties.
Lactation consultants are responsible for assisting new mothers in caring for their newborn babies. Their job includes helping mothers in their breastfeeding sessions and giving pre- and post-natal education to help them recover from giving birth. Before the actual process of giving birth, lactation consultants also provide seminars for couples who want to have a baby to prepare for pregnancy. They provide education to prepare clients physically, socially, and emotionally for the lactation period or the process of breastfeeding.
Certification specialists and lactation consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Certification Specialist | Lactation Consultant | |
| Average salary | $45,265 | $73,158 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $81,000 | Between $53,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Children's Hospital of Michigan |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a certification specialist and a lactation consultant in terms of educational background:
| Certification Specialist | Lactation Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Nursing |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between certification specialists' and lactation consultants' demographics:
| Certification Specialist | Lactation Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7% | Male, 3.7% Female, 96.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 9.1% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |