How to hire a certified lactation educator

How to hire a certified lactation educator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step certified lactation educator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a certified lactation educator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new certified lactation educator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The certified lactation educator hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

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   Hiring the perfect certified lactation educator also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of certified lactation educators.

   Type of Certified Lactation Educator	Description	Hourly rate
   Certified Lactation Educator	Health educators teach people about behaviors that promote wellness. They develop and implement strategies to improve the health of individuals and communities... Show more	$24-49
   Health Promoter	A health promoter has a myriad of responsibilities. They may be expected to promote medical services, information on topics like maternal health and hygiene, or information on malnutrition, malaria, HIV/AIDS, or other common but worrisome diseases... Show more	$12-26
   Health Coach	A Health Coach is a professional health educator who provides lifestyle and behavior guidance. They work with clients to help them feel their best through food and lifestyle changes.	$12-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Classroom Management
   • CPR
   • English Language
   • Educational Programs
   • WIC
   • Breast Pumps
   • Mathematics
   • Education Classes
   • Clinic Floor
   • Breast Milk
   • Community Resources
   • Professional Development
   • Student Learning
   • ESL

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage revolving caseload of students with IEP team including initials, transfer placements, manifestation determinations.
   • Design PowerPoint presentations enhancing educational environment.
   • Design PowerPoint presentations enhancing educational environment.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your certified lactation educator job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A certified lactation educator salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, certified lactation educators' average salary in south dakota is 41% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level certified lactation educators earn 51% less than senior-level certified lactation educators.
   • Certifications. A certified lactation educator with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a certified lactation educator's salary.

   Average certified lactation educator salary

   $72,608yearly

   $34.91 hourly rate

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   Entry-level certified lactation educator salary

   $50,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

4. Writing a certified lactation educator job description

   A certified lactation educator job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a certified lactation educator job description:

   Certified lactation educator job description example

   This is a multi-facility position that links breast-feeding support services for Women and Children Programs. The position serves as a lead educator that will provide breast-feeding education and assistance to in-patients and outpatients. The educator will also provide education to nursing staff. This will ensure that consistent support is available to all patients.
   Required Qualifications
   
   + 2 years Experience as a Certified Lactation Educator (prefer UCLA or IBCLC).
   
   + 2 years Experience in Postpartum, Newborn or Couplet Care nursing.
   
   + National Provider BLS upon hire.
   
   + California Fire and Life Safety Card within 30 days of hire.
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   
   + Bi-lingual in English and Spanish strongly preferred.
   
   Our best-in-class benefits are uniquely designed to support you and your family in staying well, growing professionally, and achieving financial security. We take care of you, so you can focus on delivering our Mission of caring for everyone, especially the most vulnerable in our communities.
   
   **About Providence**
   
   At Providence, our strength lies in Our Promise of "Know me, care for me, ease my way." Working at our family of organizations means that regardless of your role, we'll walk alongside you in your career, supporting you so you can support others. We provide best-in-class benefits and we foster an inclusive workplace where diversity is valued, and everyone is essential, heard and respected. Together, our 120,000 caregivers (all employees) serve in over 50 hospitals, over 1,000 clinics and a full range of health and social services across Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington. As a comprehensive health care organization, we are serving more people, advancing best practices and continuing our more than 100-year tradition of serving the poor and vulnerable.
   
   **Requsition ID:** 115766
   **Company:** Providence Jobs
   **Job Category:** Clinical Education
   **Job Function:** Clinical Support
   **Job Schedule:** Part time
   **Job Shift:** Day
   **Career Track:** Clinical Professional
   **Department:** 7003 PHCMC MATERNAL EDUC
   **Address:** CA Mission Hills 15031 Rinaldi St
   
   Providence is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Providence does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, disability, veteran, military status, religion, age, creed, national origin, sexual identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by local, state, or federal law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right certified lactation educator for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your certified lactation educator job on Zippia to find and recruit certified lactation educator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with certified lactation educator candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new certified lactation educator

   Once you've found the certified lactation educator candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new certified lactation educator. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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