Best states for a lactation consultant

Q: What is the best state for lactation consultants?

The best state to be a lactation consultant is California based on lactation consultant salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for lactation consultants?

The highest paying state for lactation consultants is Iowa based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for lactation consultants?

The worst state for lactation consultants is Iowa, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for lactation consultants? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for lactation consultant jobs.Although there are abundant lactation consultant jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. California is the best state in the country for lactation consultant jobs.

To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for lactation consultants.California is the best state, and Pacifica is the city with the highest pay for lactation consultants.

10 best states for lactation consultants in 2025

1. California
Total lactation consultant jobs: 675
Average annual salary: $121,185
Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000
Location Quotient:
1.02
Lactation consultant jobs in California
2. District of Columbia
Total lactation consultant jobs: 61
Average annual salary: $105,250
Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000
Location Quotient:
1.6
Lactation consultant jobs in District of Columbia
3. Pennsylvania
Total lactation consultant jobs: 258
Average annual salary: $92,539
Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000
Location Quotient:
0.98
Lactation consultant jobs in Pennsylvania
4. Alaska
Total lactation consultant jobs: 16
Average annual salary: $105,359
Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000
Location Quotient:
0.84
Lactation consultant jobs in Alaska
5. Rhode Island
Total lactation consultant jobs: 32
Average annual salary: $82,637
Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000
Location Quotient:
1.16
Lactation consultant jobs in Rhode Island
6. Washington
Total lactation consultant jobs: 120
Average annual salary: $94,830
Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000
Location Quotient:
0.72
Lactation consultant jobs in Washington
7. Oregon
Total lactation consultant jobs: 115
Average annual salary: $83,514
Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000
Location Quotient:
1.22
Lactation consultant jobs in Oregon
8. New Jersey
Total lactation consultant jobs: 178
Average annual salary: $86,822
Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000
Location Quotient:
0.99
Lactation consultant jobs in New Jersey
9. Delaware
Total lactation consultant jobs: 21
Average annual salary: $90,250
Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000
Location Quotient:
0.74
Lactation consultant jobs in Delaware
10. Massachusetts
Total lactation consultant jobs: 199
Average annual salary: $84,433
Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000
Location Quotient:
0.95
Lactation consultant jobs in Massachusetts

Lactation consultant jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a lactation consultant

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a lactation consultant

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	California	$121,185	$87,000	39,536,653	675
2	District of Columbia	$105,250	$77,000	693,972	61
3	Pennsylvania	$92,539	$68,000	12,805,537	258
4	Alaska	$105,359	$86,000	739,795	16
5	Rhode Island	$82,637	$61,000	1,059,639	32
6	Washington	$94,830	$70,000	7,405,743	120
7	Oregon	$83,514	$61,000	4,142,776	115
8	New Jersey	$86,822	$64,000	9,005,644	178
9	Delaware	$90,250	$66,000	961,939	21
10	Massachusetts	$84,433	$62,000	6,859,819	199
11	Ohio	$86,098	$63,000	11,658,609	155
12	Nevada	$83,606	$60,000	2,998,039	39
13	New York	$84,766	$62,000	19,849,399	273
14	Wisconsin	$80,541	$60,000	5,795,483	95
15	Michigan	$81,563	$60,000	9,962,311	109
16	Vermont	$76,546	$57,000	623,657	19
17	Minnesota	$78,697	$59,000	5,576,606	129
18	Connecticut	$78,606	$58,000	3,588,184	79
19	West Virginia	$79,289	$58,000	1,815,857	19
20	Maryland	$87,941	$65,000	6,052,177	71
21	Illinois	$77,288	$57,000	12,802,023	243
22	Georgia	$79,000	$57,000	10,429,379	143
23	Wyoming	$75,929	$56,000	579,315	9
24	North Carolina	$73,129	$53,000	10,273,419	199
25	Idaho	$75,114	$55,000	1,716,943	29
26	New Hampshire	$72,936	$54,000	1,342,795	38
27	Arizona	$74,382	$54,000	7,016,270	111
28	Kentucky	$75,396	$55,000	4,454,189	41
29	South Dakota	$65,384	$49,000	869,666	168
30	Louisiana	$75,189	$54,000	4,684,333	33
31	Alabama	$66,252	$48,000	4,874,747	546
32	Kansas	$71,732	$53,000	2,913,123	48
33	Tennessee	$72,100	$53,000	6,715,984	68
34	Florida	$71,495	$51,000	20,984,400	282
35	Mississippi	$64,816	$47,000	2,984,100	264
36	Texas	$67,994	$49,000	28,304,596	371
37	Montana	$66,191	$49,000	1,050,493	25
38	Missouri	$66,031	$49,000	6,113,532	125
39	Virginia	$67,469	$49,000	8,470,020	194
40	Maine	$68,259	$51,000	1,335,907	20
41	Colorado	$72,877	$53,000	5,607,154	75
42	Oklahoma	$59,050	$43,000	3,930,864	437
43	Arkansas	$67,345	$49,000	3,004,279	26
44	Nebraska	$66,369	$49,000	1,920,076	33
45	New Mexico	$65,112	$47,000	2,088,070	37
46	Utah	$63,130	$46,000	3,101,833	65
47	Hawaii	$65,149	$49,000	1,427,538	12
48	North Dakota	$62,763	$47,000	755,393	12
49	Indiana	$62,240	$46,000	6,666,818	89
50	South Carolina	$57,875	$42,000	5,024,369	48
51	Iowa	$56,202	$42,000	3,145,711	36

Highest paying states for lactation consultants

Rank	State	Avg. Lactation Consultant Salary
1	California	$121,185
2	District of Columbia	$105,250
3	Pennsylvania	$92,539
4	Alaska	$105,359
5	Rhode Island	$82,637
6	Washington	$94,830
7	Oregon	$83,514
8	New Jersey	$86,822
9	Delaware	$90,250
10	Massachusetts	$84,433
11	Ohio	$86,098
12	Nevada	$83,606
13	New York	$84,766
14	Wisconsin	$80,541
15	Michigan	$81,563
16	Vermont	$76,546
17	Minnesota	$78,697
18	Connecticut	$78,606
19	West Virginia	$79,289
20	Maryland	$87,941
21	Illinois	$77,288
22	Georgia	$79,000
23	Wyoming	$75,929
24	North Carolina	$73,129
25	Idaho	$75,114
26	New Hampshire	$72,936
27	Arizona	$74,382
28	Kentucky	$75,396
29	South Dakota	$65,384
30	Louisiana	$75,189
31	Alabama	$66,252
32	Kansas	$71,732
33	Tennessee	$72,100
34	Florida	$71,495
35	Mississippi	$64,816
36	Texas	$67,994
37	Montana	$66,191
38	Missouri	$66,031
39	Virginia	$67,469
40	Maine	$68,259
41	Colorado	$72,877
42	Oklahoma	$59,050
43	Arkansas	$67,345
44	Nebraska	$66,369
45	New Mexico	$65,112
46	Utah	$63,130
47	Hawaii	$65,149
48	North Dakota	$62,763
49	Indiana	$62,240
50	South Carolina	$57,875
51	Iowa	$56,202

Lactation consultant best states FAQs

What is the best state for lactation consultants?

What is the highest paying state for lactation consultants?

What is the worst state for lactation consultants?

Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.

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Lactation Consultant
Best states for Lactation Consultants

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total lactation consultant jobs:	675
Average annual salary:	$121,185
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$87,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$167,000
Location Quotient:	1.02

Best states for a lactation consultant

10 best states for lactation consultants in 2025

1. California

2. District of Columbia

3. Pennsylvania

4. Alaska

5. Rhode Island

6. Washington

7. Oregon

8. New Jersey

9. Delaware

10. Massachusetts