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Lactation Consultant

Types of Degrees Lactation Consultant Majors Are Earning

Those studying Lactation Consultant have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	28
Master’s Degree	9

What Lactation Consultant Majors Need to Know

Programs in Lactation Consultant build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Lactation Consultant graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Lactation Consultant emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Lactation Consultant program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Lactation Consultant careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Lactation Consultant graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Lactation Consultant professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
KayPENTAX Multi-Speech	Medical software	—
Signal analysis software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Bungalow Software Aphasia Tutor	Medical software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Language analysis software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Speech analysis software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Propeller Multimedia React2	Medical software	—
Micro Video Video Voice Speech Training System	Medical software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Lactation Consultant graduates include:

• Speech Correction Assistant
• Speech Therapy Assistant
• School SLPA (School Speech Language Pathologist Assistant)
• Language Assistant
• Speech-Language Pathologists Assistant (SLPA)
• School SLPA (School Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant)
• Speech Language Assistant
• Speech Pathology Assistant
• Certified Pathology Assistant
• Speech-Language Assistant
• SLPA (Speech Language Pathologist Assistant)
• Communication Assistant
• Speech-Language Technician
• Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA)
• Speech Pathologist Assistant

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Lactation Consultant graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	36.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	25.1%
Postsecondary certificate	14.3%
Bachelor’s degree	12.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	7.5%
Master’s degree	2.6%
Some college courses	1.8%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Lactation Consultant?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 100% of Lactation Consultant degrees.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Lactation Consultant graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	22	59.5%
Asian	1	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	2	5.4%
Black or African American	9	24.3%
Two or More Races	3	8.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Lactation Consultant Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Lactation Consultant graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$27,434
4 years	$29,082
5 years	$32,352

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $32,352 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Lactation Consultant Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Lactation Consultant graduates earn a median of $29,082 four years after completion — about 23% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	51.08
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services, Other	51.0899
Anesthesiologist Assistant	51.0809
Chiropractic Technician/Assistant	51.0813
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Assistant	51.0802
Emergency Care Attendant (EMT Ambulance)	51.0810
Medical/Clinical Assistant	51.0801
Occupational Therapist Assistant	51.0803
Pathology/Pathologist Assistant	51.0811
Pharmacy Technician/Assistant	51.0805
Physical Therapy Assistant	51.0806
Radiologist Assistant	51.0814

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.