Dear Fellow Lactnetters-
      I would like to suggest a method for determining rates.  A discussion
of specific rates would not be helpful because of the vastly different areas
in which we practice and the different currencies involved.  Not to mention
the legal considerations re "price fixing".
     First, think about what annual salary an LC in private practice should
make.  To get ideas, find out what professionals with similar levels of
expertise, education, etc make.  For example, what to PTs, OTs, enterostomal
therapists, and advanced practice nurses make?  (Expect a wide range).
     Secondly, consider what percentage of your hours could actually be
billable hours if you are in private practice.  For example, the time you
spend billing, charting, reading journals, promoting your business, attending
conferences, is not billable.  75%?  50%?
     Thirdly, consider the cost of your overhead.  How much can you expect to
spend in a year for office space, utilities, phone, papers, materials?  Add
that cost to your annual salary figure.  You actually should also add approx
30% for benefits cost.
      Finally, if you worked a forty hour week, and only 20 hours were
billable, what hourly rate would you need to charge to make an appropriate
salary?
     Are you shocked by the amount?   Then think about this....
-What is your mechanic's hourly labor charge?
-What does a service visit cost if you need an appliance repaired?
-If you spend 10 minutes with the nurse practitioner, what will the fee be?
-If Barney the Purple dinosaur comes to a children's party for 1 hour, what
will the charge be?

      If we see ourselves as specially skilled professionals, we should
expect to be paid as such.   If we think that IBCLCs should eventually come
from University programs, who would spend thousands of dollars and years of
study for a job that pays very poorly?  I know that many of us do it for
love, but we need more than love for breastfeeding to advance our profession.