Obstetrician who cares for high-risk pregnancies, managing maternal illness and diagnosing and treating problems in the fetus before birth. Payscale maternal-fetal medicine specialist data; SalaryDr puts typical pay at $462,510 a year (2026). BLS does not publish separate figures for obstetricians and gynecologists; it counts them within obstetrician and gynecologist (SOC 29-1218), whose median pay is $292,910 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
- SOC 29-1218
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $292,910a year, or $140.82/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $95KTop 10% $437K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +1.7%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+1.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +1.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 50022,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202522.8K
- Projected 203523.2K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 22.8K Projected 2035 23.2K - Typical education
- Doctorateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Professional degree3.5%
- Doctorate22.5%
- Post-doctoral training74%
Highest education held by obstetricians and gynecologists Segment Value Professional degree 3.5% Doctorate 22.5% Post-doctoral training 74%
Also advertised as: Perinatologist, MFM Physician, High-Risk Pregnancy Doctor, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Physician.
Pay
How much do Obstetricians and Gynecologists make?
Industry-reported pay
$462,510
Average annual pay, US maternal-fetal medicine specialists (self-reported salary data); physician-reported total compensation medians run higher.
Source: Payscale maternal-fetal medicine specialist data; SalaryDr, 2026 (estimate from several industry sources). This is not a BLS figure: BLS counts obstetricians and gynecologists within obstetrician and gynecologist, whose pay is shown below. Payscale: Maternal-fetal medicine specialist salary · SalaryDr: Maternal-fetal medicine wRVU and compensation data
Every maternal-fetal medicine specialist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$292,910
Middle half earn $179,810 to $369,390
- 10th
- $94,680
- 25th
- $179,810
- 75th
- $369,390
- 90th
- $437,300
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $94,680 |
| 25th | $179,810 |
| Median | $292,910 |
| 75th | $369,390 |
| 90th | $437,300 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $292,910
- Median hourly wage
- $140.82/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $279,040
- People employed
- 21,260
Versus all US occupations
At $292,910, Obstetricians and Gynecologists earn 475% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $241,930 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $102,760, this is 185% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $437,300 or more while the bottom 10% earn $94,680, a gap of 4.6×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 98% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Utah posts the highest raw median ($437,170), but once local prices are taken into account North Dakota leads at $465,450 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Obstetricians and Gynecologists the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Utah | $437,170 | $442,193 | 200 |
| 2Alaska | $421,450 | $411,737 | 50 |
| 3Vermont | $418,760 | $427,489 | 90 |
| 4North Dakota | $414,060 | $465,450 | 70 |
| 5Louisiana | $404,550 | $458,637 | 80 |
| 6Oregon | $395,340 | $382,485 | 270 |
| 7Maine | $379,930 | $391,479 | 100 |
| 8Oklahoma | $370,260 | $421,502 | 60 |
| 9Arizona | $369,720 | $367,234 | 130 |
| 10Iowa | $356,020 | $405,665 | 180 |
Job outlook
Is Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +1.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | +1.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to change 1.7% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 500 openings are projected each year, 2.2% of the 22,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist
After medical school and a four-year obstetrics and gynecology residency, physicians complete a three-year ACGME-accredited maternal-fetal medicine fellowship, which includes research.
The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology certifies them in obstetrics and gynecology and then in maternal-fetal medicine through qualifying and oral exams. The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine is the main professional organization. Fellowship training covers obstetric ultrasound, genetics, critical care obstetrics and research. Applicants usually build a record of research and high-risk obstetrics experience during residency. Board certification also requires a research thesis completed during fellowship.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Doctoral or professional degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Internship/residency
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as obstetricians and gynecologists.
- Post-Doctoral Training74%
- Doctoral Degree22.5%
- First Professional Degree3.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Post-Doctoral Training | 74% |
| Doctoral Degree | 22.5% |
| First Professional Degree | 3.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist do?
Maternal-fetal medicine specialists, also called perinatologists, care for pregnancies with higher risk for the mother or baby. They manage pregnant patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, and prior pregnancy losses, and they treat complications such as preeclampsia, preterm labor and placental problems.
They perform and interpret detailed ultrasounds, diagnose birth defects and genetic conditions, and perform procedures such as amniocentesis, and in some centers fetal blood transfusion and fetal surgery. They consult with general obstetricians, neonatologists and pediatric surgeons and help plan the timing and place of delivery.
Day-to-day tasks
- Manage pregnancies complicated by diabetes, hypertension and other maternal illness
- Perform and interpret detailed fetal ultrasound and echocardiography
- Diagnose birth defects and genetic conditions before birth
- Perform amniocentesis and other prenatal procedures
- Treat preeclampsia, preterm labor and placental disorders
- Plan delivery timing and location with obstetricians and neonatologists
- Counsel families after abnormal prenatal findings
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
MFM specialists work in hospitals, academic centers and outpatient perinatal ultrasound offices, and some cover several hospitals by telemedicine. The week mixes ultrasound clinics, consultations and labor and delivery coverage, with call for obstetric emergencies.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking4.4
- Reading Comprehension4.3
- Active Listening4.1
- Active Learning4.1
- Writing4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Science3.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 4.4 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.3 |
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Active Learning | 4.1 |
| Writing | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Science | 3.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Coordination3.9
- Time Management3.8
- Service Orientation3.6
- Instructing3.1
- Systems Analysis3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.9 |
| Time Management | 3.8 |
| Service Orientation | 3.6 |
| Instructing | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Electronic mail software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ISR) built on O*NET's Obstetrician and Gynecologist profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 6 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 5 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with teaching, helping and working directly with other people.
- Investigative5.7
- Social5.5
- Realistic4.7
- Conventional3.7
- Enterprising2.7
- Artistic1.4
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
More healthcare practitioners and technical careers
Median annual pay, with obstetricians and gynecologists highlighted
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist$292,910
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- Physical Therapist$102,760
- Dental Hygienist$98,100
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer$96,590
- Radiologic Technologist and Technician$80,110
- Surgical Technologist$64,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologist | $391,490 |
| Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist | $292,910 |
| Physician Assistant | $135,880 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $132,300 |
| Physical Therapist | $102,760 |
| Dental Hygienist | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | $96,590 |
| Radiologic Technologist and Technician | $80,110 |
| Surgical Technologist | $64,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist appears on
Questions
Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist: frequently asked questions
How much do Obstetricians and Gynecologists make?
Payscale maternal-fetal medicine specialist data; SalaryDr reports $462,510 (average annual pay, US maternal-fetal medicine specialists (self-reported salary data); physician-reported total compensation medians run higher, 2026). BLS does not publish a separate wage for obstetricians and gynecologists. It counts them within obstetrician and gynecologist, whose median pay is $292,910 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $179,810 and $369,390, and the top 10% earn $437,300 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist?
Yes, and beyond a bachelor's: BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry requirement for Obstetricians and Gynecologists. BLS also lists internship/residency as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 74.0% hold post-doctoral training.
Is Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 1.7% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist do?
Maternal-fetal medicine specialists, also called perinatologists, care for pregnancies with higher risk for the mother or baby. A typical task: manage pregnancies complicated by diabetes, hypertension and other maternal illness. Employers most often ask for Medical software, Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Obstetricians and Gynecologists the most?
The highest state medians for Obstetricians and Gynecologists are Utah ($437,170), Alaska ($421,450), Vermont ($418,760) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, North Dakota moves to the top at $465,450.
What personality type suits a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist?
O*NET scores Obstetricians and Gynecologists highest on the Investigative, Social and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with teaching, helping and working directly with other people. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISFJ, ISTP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.