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Lactation consultant salary
Average lactation consultant salary
$73,158
Understanding Lactation Consultant Salaries
Lactation consultants play a critical role in supporting new mothers and their infants. On average, they earn $73,158 annually, or around $35 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on experience level; entry-level consultants typically start lower, while those with more experience can earn substantially more. Additionally, geographic location plays a significant role in salary variation, with certain states offering higher compensation.
Salary by State
States like California and New York often provide the highest salaries for lactation consultants due to higher living costs and demand for their expertise. Other states also offer competitive salaries, making it essential to research local job markets.
Career Opportunities
Consultants can find positions in hospitals, private practices, and community health organizations. As awareness of breastfeeding benefits grows, so does the demand for qualified lactation consultants. This profession not only offers financial rewards but also the satisfaction of making a significant impact on maternal and infant health.
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Where can a Lactation Consultant earn more?
Lactation consultant salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level lactation consultant | $58,000 | $27.89 |
| Mid-level lactation consultant | $73,000 | $35.08 |
| Senior-level lactation consultant | $100,000 | $48.11 |
Lactation consultant salary estimates from across the web
Average lactation consultant salary by state
The average lactation consultant salary in California, Alaska, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average lactation consultant salary states are Utah, North Dakota, and Indiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for lactation consultants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $121,185 | $58.26 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $105,250 | $50.60 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $92,539 | $44.49 |
| 4 | Alaska | $105,359 | $50.65 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $82,637 | $39.73 |
| 6 | Washington | $94,830 | $45.59 |
| 7 | Oregon | $83,514 | $40.15 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $86,822 | $41.74 |
| 9 | Delaware | $90,250 | $43.39 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $84,433 | $40.59 |
| 11 | Ohio | $86,098 | $41.39 |
| 12 | Nevada | $83,606 | $40.20 |
| 13 | New York | $84,766 | $40.75 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $80,541 | $38.72 |
| 15 | Michigan | $81,563 | $39.21 |
| 16 | Vermont | $76,546 | $36.80 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $78,697 | $37.84 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $78,606 | $37.79 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $79,289 | $38.12 |
| 20 | Maryland | $87,941 | $42.28 |
| 21 | Illinois | $77,288 | $37.16 |
| 22 | Georgia | $79,000 | $37.98 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $75,929 | $36.50 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $73,129 | $35.16 |
| 25 | Idaho | $75,114 | $36.11 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $72,936 | $35.07 |
| 27 | Arizona | $74,382 | $35.76 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $75,396 | $36.25 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $65,384 | $31.43 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $75,189 | $36.15 |
| 31 | Alabama | $66,252 | $31.85 |
| 32 | Kansas | $71,732 | $34.49 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $72,100 | $34.66 |
| 34 | Florida | $71,495 | $34.37 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $64,816 | $31.16 |
| 36 | Texas | $67,994 | $32.69 |
| 37 | Montana | $66,191 | $31.82 |
| 38 | Missouri | $66,031 | $31.75 |
| 39 | Virginia | $67,469 | $32.44 |
| 40 | Maine | $68,259 | $32.82 |
| 41 | Colorado | $72,877 | $35.04 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $59,050 | $28.39 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $67,345 | $32.38 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $66,369 | $31.91 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $65,112 | $31.30 |
| 46 | Utah | $63,130 | $30.35 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $65,149 | $31.32 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $62,763 | $30.17 |
| 49 | Indiana | $62,240 | $29.92 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $57,875 | $27.82 |
| 51 | Iowa | $56,202 | $27.02 |
Highest paying cities for lactation consultants
The highest-paying cities for lactation consultants are Palo Alto, CA, Washington, DC, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palo Alto, CA | $124,840 | $60.02 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $105,296 | $50.62 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $95,034 | $45.69 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $92,732 | $44.58 |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $88,080 | $42.35 |
| 6 | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | $87,184 | $41.92 |
| 7 | Paterson, NJ | $86,756 | $41.71 |
| 8 | Rochester, NY | $83,797 | $40.29 |
| 9 | Portland, OR | $83,146 | $39.97 |
| 10 | Providence, RI | $82,638 | $39.73 |
| 11 | Madison, WI | $79,969 | $38.45 |
| 12 | Canton, GA | $79,517 | $38.23 |
| 13 | Danbury, CT | $78,652 | $37.81 |
| 14 | Rochester, MN | $78,628 | $37.80 |
| 15 | Raleigh, NC | $73,994 | $35.57 |
| 16 | Manchester, NH | $72,950 | $35.07 |
| 17 | Westminster, CO | $72,848 | $35.02 |
| 18 | Garden City, KS | $71,676 | $34.46 |
| 19 | El Paso, TX | $69,851 | $33.58 |
| 20 | Fort Wayne, IN | $63,016 | $30.30 |
Lactation consultant salary details
A lactation consultant's salary ranges from $53,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $99,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a lactation consultant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $99,000 | $8,250 | $48 |
| 75th Percentile | $86,000 | $7,167 | $41 |
| Average | $73,158 | $6,097 | $35 |
| 25th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
Highest paying lactation consultant jobs
The highest paying types of lactation consultants are registered nurse in the icu, student/clinical rotation, and registered nurse med/surg.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse | $57,564 | $4,797 | $27.67 | 696,124 |
| Nurse Extern | $37,156 | $3,096 | $17.86 | 569,180 |
| Registered Nurse Supervisor | $74,174 | $6,181 | $35.66 | 640,040 |
| Home Health Nurse | $69,393 | $5,783 | $33.36 | 687,941 |
| Registered Nurse Charge Nurse | $71,342 | $5,945 | $34.30 | 645,134 |
| Registered Nurse | $73,349 | $6,112 | $35.26 | 646,159 |
Top companies hiring lactation consultants now:
Which companies pay lactation consultants the most?
Lactation consultant salaries at Children's Hospital of Michigan and University of Maryland Medical System are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lactation consultant salary at companies like Highmark and Tenet Healthcare are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Children's Hospital of Michigan | $88,919 | $42.75 |
| 2 | University of Maryland Medical System | $86,000 | $41.35 |
| 3 | Highmark | $84,798 | $40.77 |
| 4 | Tenet Healthcare | $83,434 | $40.11 |
| 5 | Sutter Health | $83,115 | $39.96 |
| 6 | University of California-Berkeley | $82,924 | $39.87 |
| 7 | Baystate Health | $81,223 | $39.05 |
| 8 | Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego | $80,315 | $38.61 |
| 9 | Mount Auburn Hospital | $80,071 | $38.50 |
| 10 | Doylestown Health | $79,752 | $38.34 |
| 11 | Capital Health | $79,746 | $38.34 |
| 12 | Mayo Clinic | $79,640 | $38.29 |
| 13 | St. Joseph Healthcare | $79,587 | $38.26 |
| 14 | Woman's Hospital | $79,039 | $38.00 |
| 15 | Hackensack Meridian Health | $78,982 | $37.97 |
| 16 | Eastern Connecticut Health Network (echn) | $78,929 | $37.95 |
| 17 | Novant Health | $78,780 | $37.88 |
| 18 | UT Health East Texas | $78,661 | $37.82 |
| 19 | Medstar Health | $78,567 | $37.77 |
| 20 | Marin General Hospital: Foley Pamela MD | $78,505 | $37.74 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Lactation consultant salary trends
The average lactation consultant salary has risen by $10,241 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lactation consultant earned $62,917 annually, but today, they earn $73,158 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for lactation consultants over the last decade.
Compare lactation consultant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average lactation consultant salary over time
Compare lactation consultant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Lactation consultant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $73,200 | $35.17 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $71,200 | $34.22 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $69,700 | $33.49 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $68,000 | $32.68 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $66,500 | $31.96 | +1.4% |
Recently added lactation consultant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity Health | Lactation Consultant Nurse-Mother Baby | Silver Spring, MD | 06/30/2025 | $77,595 |
| BJC Healthcare | Lactation Consultant (RN) | Saint Louis, MO | 06/28/2025 | $62,610 |
| Main Line Health, Inc. | Lactation Consultant | Media, PA | 06/28/2025 | $64,447 |
| Pima County | International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (Ibclc) | Tucson, AZ | 06/27/2025 | $52,251 |
| White Plains Hospital Center | Lactation Consultant | White Plains, NY | 06/26/2025 | $117,419 |
| Children's Mercy KC | Lactation Consultant | Kansas City, MO | 06/23/2025 | $69,560 |
| Children's Mercy Hospital | Lactation Consultant | Kansas City, MO | 06/22/2025 | $69,560 |
| Aurora Health Care | Lactation Consultant RN Registry 7AM-7PM | Kane, IL | 06/20/2025 | $78,263 |
| Dartmouth Health | Per Diem Lactation Consultant-Registered Nurse (RN) | Lebanon, NH | 06/20/2025 | $85,463 |
| Uc Health | Lactation Consultant RN | Aurora, CO | 06/17/2025 | $81,205 |
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