How To Become A Lactation Consultant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a lactation consultant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Several babies are born each day, so a lactation consultant has a very important role in the world. A lactation consultant's main task is to assist new mothers in caring for their newborn babies. They give mothers re- and post-natal education and help mothers in breastfeeding sessions.

As a lactation consultant, one should be detail-oriented to be able to deliver the job with minimal mistakes since lives are at stake here. Emotional stability is also needed for one needs to really be strong in this field, and lastly, physical stamina is another important trait a lactation consultant must possess. This job is often tiring, so being able to have energy after long hours of work is needed.

Almost half of the lactation consultants today have a bachelor's degree, and more than a quarter obtained a master's degree. However, a high school degree or GED is enough to become a lactation consultant.

A lactation consultant earns an average of $68,118 per year, and this job has a growth rate of 12%. Moving along in the career, one can be a nursing director after some years.

ScoreLactation ConsultantUS Average

Salary

5.7

Avg. Salary $73,158

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 9.11%

Black or African American 10.17%

Hispanic or Latino 9.69%

Unknown 4.31%

White 66.27%

Gender

female 96.28%

male 3.72%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.1

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a lactation consultant

Explore lactation consultant education requirements

Most common lactation consultant degrees

Bachelor's

58.6 %

Associate

18.5 %

Master's

14.0 %

Start to develop specific lactation consultant skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	26.59%
IBCLC	17.09%
Patient Care	13.27%
International Board	7.65%
CPR	5.07%

Complete relevant lactation consultant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lactation consultants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lactation consultant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lactation consultant resumes.

Gain additional lactation consultant certifications

Lactation consultant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific lactation consultant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for lactation consultants include International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS).

More About Certifications

Research lactation consultant duties and responsibilities

Manage communications with referral source, medical providers, injure worker and other parties involve in the rehabilitation process.
Provide clinical lactation support, community breastfeeding education, and CPR instruction
Work in outpatient breastfeeding center as IBCLC with occasional floating to inpatient lactation consulting.
Provide guidance to birth mothers on proper positions and latch techniques to minimize potential complications.

Prepare your lactation consultant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lactation consultant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lactation consultant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable lactation consultant resume templates

Build a professional lactation consultant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your lactation consultant resume.