What can I expect for a Lactation Consultant salary?

Unfortunately, when it comes to salaries for lactation consultants, there is no cut and dry answer. There are many variables to take into account–the city in which you work, your overall education, the type of facility in which you will work, etc. That being said, I’ve found that if you ask a lactation consultant you work with, they are usually willing to discuss not only their salary, but what to expect when trying to become a certified lactation consultant. Moreover, how to properly prepare for the exam.

When searching popular a nurse forum, AllNurses.com, I found the following answer when someone asked about a lactation consultant salary:

A friend of mine makes $40/hr as an IBCLC in an inpatient facility. She is also an RN, but works in the lactation department.

A quick search on Glassdoor showed the following results for lactation consultant salaries:

On a report published this month (September 2023), Salary.com posted that the average lactation consultant salary breaks down to $44/hr. (That’s almost $91,700 a year!)

Have a friend or co-worker that is a clinical nurse specialist and will discuss salaries with you? Maternal and Infant Lactation Knowledge Group (MILK) Research and Educational Group of NC State University, says that “For a rough estimate, often hourly rates might be similar to what the office would pay nursing or other clinical staff, but it will of course vary by office.”

Possibly the clearest answer to how much a hospital-based lactation consultant makes, can be found in this chart, provided by the United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA). Although caution must be taken when using this data as the the survey was done in 2019.