The median pay for Midwives is $65,790 a year ($31.63/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 5.1% through 2035, with about 2,200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
- SOC 29-9099
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Midwife in four numbers
- Median pay
- $65,790a year, or $31.63/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $39KTop 10% $130K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +5.1%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+5.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +5.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 2,20039,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202539.1K
- Projected 203541K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 39.1K Projected 2035 41K - Typical education
- Certificateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Certificate32.8%
- Some college8.8%
- Bachelor's12.2%
- Post-bacc certificate15.9%
- Master's28.8%
- Post-master’s certificate1.5%
Highest education held by midwives Segment Value Certificate 32.8% Some college 8.8% Bachelor's 12.2% Post-bacc certificate 15.9% Master's 28.8% Post-master’s certificate 1.5%
Also advertised as: Birth Center Midwife, Certified Direct-Entry Midwife, Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), Homebirth Midwife, Lay Midwife, Licensed and Certified Midwife.
Pay
How much do Midwives make?
Every midwife in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$65,790
Middle half earn $47,750 to $97,000
- 10th
- $38,660
- 25th
- $47,750
- 75th
- $97,000
- 90th
- $129,830
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $38,660 |
| 25th | $47,750 |
| Median | $65,790 |
| 75th | $97,000 |
| 90th | $129,830 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $65,790
- Median hourly wage
- $31.63/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $76,720
- People employed
- 35,010
Versus all US occupations
At $65,790, Midwives earn 29% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $14,810 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $102,760, this is 36% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $129,830 or more while the bottom 10% earn $38,660, a gap of 3.4×. 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 41% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $113,640, and still leads at $103,402 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Midwives 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $113,640 | $103,402 | 130 |
| 2Puerto Rico | $108,890 | N/A | 60 |
| 3New York | $102,990 | $95,431 | 1,110 |
| 4Kentucky | $91,560 | $101,554 | 190 |
| 5Missouri | $86,110 | $94,817 | 450 |
| 6Wisconsin | $81,580 | $86,700 | 470 |
| 7Indiana | $81,290 | $87,100 | 500 |
| 8Washington | $80,730 | $75,439 | 880 |
| 9Massachusetts | $80,240 | $75,872 | 310 |
| 10Minnesota | $79,990 | $81,108 | 410 |
Job outlook
Is Midwife a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +5.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Midwives | +5.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Midwives to change 5.1% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 2,000 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 2,200 openings are projected each year, 5.6% of the 39,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Midwife
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 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 midwives.
- Post-Secondary Certificate32.8%
- Master's Degree28.8%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate15.9%
- Bachelor's Degree12.2%
- Some College Courses8.8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 32.8% |
| Master's Degree | 28.8% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 15.9% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 12.2% |
| Some College Courses | 8.8% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Midwife do?
Provide prenatal care and childbirth assistance.
Day-to-day tasks
- Identify tubal and ectopic pregnancies and refer patients for treatments.
- Conduct ongoing prenatal health assessments, tracking changes in physical and emotional health.
- Monitor fetal growth and well-being through heartbeat detection, body measurement, and palpation.
- Establish and follow emergency or contingency plans for mothers and newborns.
- Identify, monitor, or treat pregnancy-related problems such as hypertension, gestational diabetes, pre-term labor, or retarded fetal growth.
- Obtain complete health and medical histories from patients including medical, surgical, reproductive, or mental health histories.
- Evaluate patients' laboratory and medical records, requesting assistance from other practitioners when necessary.
- Assess the status of post-date pregnancies to determine treatments and interventions.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors 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 seriousMistakes carry very serious consequences.
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 Thinking4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.6
- Active Learning3.4
- Learning Strategies3.3
- Writing3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.3 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.1
- Service Orientation3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Coordination3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Instructing3.3
- Persuasion3.0
- Systems Analysis3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 |
| Instructing | 3.3 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query 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 Midwife?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Midwife |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 6 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
- Social6.0
- Realistic4.0
- Investigative3.5
- Conventional3.3
- Enterprising2.7
- Artistic1.9
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 Midwife
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 midwives highlighted
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- 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
- Midwife$65,790
- Surgical Technologist$64,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologist | $391,490 |
| 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 |
| Midwife | $65,790 |
| Surgical Technologist | $64,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Questions
Midwife: frequently asked questions
How much do Midwives make?
Midwives earn a median of $65,790 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 29% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $31.63/hr. The middle half earn between $47,750 and $97,000. The top 10% earn $129,830 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Midwife?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialed training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or license program) as the typical entry route for Midwives. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 32.8% hold post-secondary certificate.
Is Midwife a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.1% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 2,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Midwife do?
Provide prenatal care and childbirth assistance. A core O*NET task: identify tubal and ectopic pregnancies and refer patients for treatments. Employers most often ask for Enterprise application integration software, Medical software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Midwives the most?
The highest state medians for Midwives are District of Columbia ($113,640), Puerto Rico ($108,890), New York ($102,990) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Midwife?
O*NET scores Midwives highest on the Social, Realistic and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFJ, ISFJ, ESFP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.