How to hire a lactation specialist

How to hire a lactation specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lactation specialist hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a lactation specialist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect lactation specialist 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of lactation specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Lactation Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Lactation Specialist	Social and human service assistants provide client services, including support for families, in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, and social work. They assist other workers, such as social workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services.	$13-31
   Volunteer	Volunteers are usually unpaid individuals who render their service to a company or organization. Most of the time, volunteers are skilled in specific areas needed by the organization but prefer to provide free service... Show more	$11-19
   Coordinator	Coordinators are responsible for liaising between the department they are assigned to and any other external party. They oversee projects or agreements... Show more	$12-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • WIC
   • Group Classes

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage assignments of paying medical bills limit in depth that include organizing and researching regulations as pertain to veterans eligibility.
   • Promote breastfeeding to WIC participants through counseling.
   • Train WIC staff and clientele in breastfeeding and breast pump management.
   • Verify all insurance information including Medicare, NC Medicaid, secondary, tertiary insurances either via online or via telephone correspondence.
   • Help develop and maintain Aveda standards and educational requirements.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, lactation specialists' average salary in missouri is 56% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level lactation specialists earn 58% less than senior-level lactation specialists.
   • Certifications. A lactation specialist 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 lactation specialist's salary.

   Average lactation specialist salary

   $43,665yearly

   $20.99 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level lactation specialist salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

4. Writing a lactation specialist job description

   A job description for a lactation specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a lactation specialist job description:

   Lactation specialist job description example

   Adventist Health is more than an award-winning health system. We provide whole-person care to our communities and champion the greater good - from the operating room to the boardroom, we are driven by our unique passion to live God's love through health, wholeness and hope. From Oregon to Oahu, we have a calling to always do more. Now is your chance to apply your passion to our mission.
   We're looking for someone to join our team as a Lactation Specialist who:
   
   Provides inpatient lactation services to women and their families adapting the instruction and care to the lifestyle, cultural lifestyle, cultural background and socio-economic status of the patient. Works in collaboration with the direct nursing staff and the physician to assist the patient in achieving a satisfactory start to successful breastfeeding. Assists in the implementation of short and long range goals applying to breastfeeding that are identified by the nursing staff providing direct patient care.
   
   Essential Functions:
   
   * Employs an interdisciplinary approach to providing comprehensive newborn assessment and lactation support. Facilitates the coordination of all necessary services for patients and families. Coordinates patient care for hospital admissions, specialty referrals, and ancillary support departments based on the assessment from the newborn visit. Within the assigned service area of operation, contacts every woman who has delivered a newborn, offers telephonic assessment and lactation support, generates a nursing care plan, and monitors follow up. Assesses the needs of the mother and her newborn in the post-partum period. Documents identified high risk factors and problems, which may require consultation and intervention, and plans for appropriate follow up.
   * Collaborates with other members of the health care team to identify parent's educational and competency gaps related to breastfeeding and newborn assessment. Conducts and documents individual or family lactation or newborn visits to address the identified gaps associated with the newborn or lactation visit. In collaboration with other members of the healthcare team, assesses staff knowledge and identifies competency-based educational needs of staff related to breastfeeding patients and newborn assessment. Provides both formal and informal medical and nursing staff education services in a manner that is consistent, uniform, efficient and cost-effective. Evaluates the effectiveness of the education and modifies educational plans as needed.
   * Provides daily assessment and support of new mothers and infants in conjunction with the nursing staff. Appropriately documents breastfeeding assessments, interventions and plan of care in the medical record. Communicates breastfeeding assessment and plan of care with bedside nurse to ensure continuity. Performs duties of the clinical nurse in assigned setting when necessary. Assists with development and updating of lactation protocols in collaboration with a health care team of physicians, nurse practitioner, midwife, social workers, and nutritionists. Teaches group prenatal newborn care and lactation classes. Provides education and mentoring to health care professionals. Mentors nursing staff in providing inpatient education.
   * Communicates and markets breastfeeding education programs to a broad target audience using appropriate methods, and based on identified/assessed needs. Provides breastfeeding education to obstetrical and pediatric care providers in the community. Communicates the assessment and plan of care to the mother and/or baby's doctor when seen in the outpatient clinic.
   * Performs other job-related duties as assigned.
   
   You'll be successful with the following qualifications:
   
   Education:
   
   * High School Education/GED or equivalent: Preferred
   * Bachelor's Degree or equivalent combination of education/related experience: Preferred
   
   Work Experience:
   
   * Two years relevant experience: Preferred
   * Experience teaching health education classes and facilitating support groups: Preferred
   
   Required Licenses/Certifications:
   
   * Certified Lactation Consultants: Required
   * Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) or Basic Life Support (BLS) certification: Preferred
   * Registered Nurse (RN) licensure in the state of practice: Preferred
   
   Adventist Health is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our associates and patients. Therefore, we require that all associates receive all required vaccinations, including, but not limited to, measles, mumps, flu (based on the seasonal availability of the flu vaccine typically during October-March each year), COVID-19 vaccine (required in CA, HI and OR) etc., as a condition of employment, and annually thereafter. Medical and religious exemptions may apply.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right lactation specialist 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 lactation specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit lactation specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit lactation specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up 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 lactation specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the lactation specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new lactation specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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