Lactation Educator Salary in the United States

How much does a Lactation Educator make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lactation Educator in the United States is $112,784 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $54.

However, a Lactation Educator's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $127,164
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $101,474 to $120,311
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $91,177
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View as table View as graph 25% $101,474 10% $91,177 90% $127,164 75% $120,311 $112,784 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Lactation Educator Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $120,311 $10,026 $2,314 $58
Average $112,784 $9,399 $2,169 $54
25th Percentile $101,474 $8,456 $1,951 $49
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Key Factors That Influence Lactation Educator Salaries

A Lactation Educator's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Lactation Educator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Lactation Educator's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $108,351
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $108,704
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $112,784
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $115,884
  • Expert (over 8 years): $116,105
Levels Salary
Entry Level Lactation Educator$108,351
Intermediate Level Lactation Educator$108,704
Senior Level Lactation Educator$112,784
Specialist Level Lactation Educator$115,884
Expert Level Lactation Educator$116,105
$108,351 0 yr
$108,704 < 2 yrs
$112,784 2-4 yrs
$115,884 5-8 yrs
$116,105 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Lactation Educator Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Lactation Educators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $124,874.
  • California: $124,401.
  • Massachusetts: $122,743.

Top Paying Cities for Lactation Educators

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $142,254
  • San Francisco: $140,856
  • Oakland: $137,732

What Skills Can Increase a Lactation Educator's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Collaboration (Mentioned in 6.09% Job Postings): Works cooperatively and shares ideas with coworkers and managers to achieve common goals and objectives.
  • Acute Care (Mentioned in 3.24% Job Postings): Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. In medical terms, care for acute health conditions is the opposite from chronic care, or longer term care. Acute care services are generally delivered by teams of health care professionals from a range of medical and surgical specialties. Acute care may require a stay in a hospital emergency department, ambulatory surgery center, urgent care centre or other short-term stay facility, along with the assistance of diagnostic services, surgery, or follow-up outpatient care in the community. Hospital-based acute inpatient care typically has the goal of discharging patients as soon as they are deemed healthy and stable. Acute care settings include emergency department, intensive care, coronary care, cardiology, neonatal intensive care, and many general areas where the patient could become acutely unwell and require stabilization and transfer to another higher dependency unit for further treatment.
  • Nursing Process (Mentioned in 2% Job Postings): The nursing process is a modified scientific method. Nursing practise was first described as a four-stage nursing process by Ida Jean Orlando in 1958.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Collaboration 6.09%
Acute Care 3.24%
Nursing Process 2%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Lactation Educator's salary.
  • Staff Development: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Accountability: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
  • Effective Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Staff Development
$119,551
6%
Accountability
$116,168
3%
Effective Communication
$116,168
3%
Nursing Practice
$115,040
2%
Communicates Effectively
$115,040
2%
Written Communication
$115,040
2%
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How Education impacts a Lactation Educator's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Lactation Educators enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Lactation Educator with a Associate's Degree is between $92,865 and $98,750).

Lactation Educator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Lactation Educator
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 12.4%
High School 12.4%
Associates 33.6%
Bachelors 42.5%
Masters 10.6%
Doctorate 0.9%
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Lactation Educator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Lactation Educator's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on April 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Lactation Educator

Salaries for a Lactation Educator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $210,634 in 2023 to around $204,869 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Lactation Educator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Lactation Educator Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$210,634
2024
$212,896
2025
$204,869
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $210,634
2024 $212,896
2025 $204,869
2026
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2027
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Most common benefits for Lactation Educator

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Lactation Educator

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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