The median pay for Nurse Midwives is $134,040 a year ($64.44/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 11.5% through 2035, with about 400 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
- SOC 29-1161
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Nurse Midwife in four numbers
- Median pay
- $134,040a year, or $64.44/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $94KTop 10% $188K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +11.5%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+11.5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +11.5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 4008,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20258.2K
- Projected 20359.1K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 8.2K Projected 2035 9.1K - Typical education
- Master'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Post-bacc certificate3.1%
- Master's81.3%
- Post-master’s certificate15.6%
Highest education held by nurse midwives Segment Value Post-bacc certificate 3.1% Master's 81.3% Post-master’s certificate 15.6%
Also advertised as: Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), Nurse Midwife, Staff Certified Nurse Midwife, Staff Nurse Midwife.
Pay
How much do Nurse Midwives make?
Every nurse midwife in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$134,040
Middle half earn $116,510 to $157,400
- 10th
- $93,620
- 25th
- $116,510
- 75th
- $157,400
- 90th
- $188,320
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $93,620 |
| 25th | $116,510 |
| Median | $134,040 |
| 75th | $157,400 |
| 90th | $188,320 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $134,040
- Median hourly wage
- $64.44/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $136,980
- People employed
- 7,920
Versus all US occupations
At $134,040, Nurse Midwives earn 163% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $83,060 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $102,760, this is 30% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $188,320 or more while the bottom 10% earn $93,620, a gap of 2.0×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 89% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
California pays the most at $203,840, and still leads at $184,104 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Nurse 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $203,840 | $184,104 | 870 |
| 2Hawaii | $170,110 | $154,714 | N/A |
| 3Massachusetts | $159,800 | $151,101 | 280 |
| 4Washington | $158,970 | $148,552 | 170 |
| 5New Jersey | $153,970 | $141,510 | 120 |
| 6Vermont | $151,030 | $154,178 | 60 |
| 7Oregon | $146,900 | $142,123 | 240 |
| 8New York | $144,510 | $133,904 | 360 |
| 9New Hampshire | $142,960 | $137,244 | 60 |
| 10Arizona | $140,960 | $140,012 | 80 |
Job outlook
Is Nurse Midwife a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +11.5% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Nurse Midwives | +11.5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Nurse Midwives to change 11.5% over 2025–2035, roughly 3.3× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 900 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 400 openings are projected each year, 4.9% of the 8,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners is projected to grow 36 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment growth is projected to occur because of an increase in the demand for healthcare services. Several factors will likely contribute to this demand; the most important contributors include the aging population and growing prevalence of chronic disease.
Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) perform many of the same services as physicians. APRNs will increasingly be used in team-based models of care, particularly in hospitals, offices of physicians, clinics, and other ambulatory care settings, where they will likely be needed to provide preventive, primary, and acute care.
Getting in
How to become a Nurse Midwife
Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners, also referred to as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), must have at least a master’s degree in their specialty role. APRNs also must be licensed registered nurses in their state, pass a national certification exam, and have a state APRN license.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree
- 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 nurse midwives.
- Master's Degree81.3%
- Post-Master's Certificate15.6%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate3.1%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 81.3% |
| Post-Master's Certificate | 15.6% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 3.1% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Nurse Midwife do?
Diagnose and coordinate all aspects of the birthing process, either independently or as part of a healthcare team. May provide well-woman gynecological care. Must have specialized, graduate nursing education.
Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners, also referred to as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), coordinate patient care and may provide primary and specialty healthcare. The scope of practice varies from state to state.
Day-to-day tasks
- Provide prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, or newborn care to patients.
- Monitor fetal development by listening to fetal heartbeat, taking external uterine measurements, identifying fetal position, or estimating fetal size and weight.
- Document patients' health histories, symptoms, physical conditions, or other diagnostic information.
- Provide patients with direct family planning services, such as inserting intrauterine devices, dispensing oral contraceptives, and fitting cervical barriers, including cervical caps or diaphragms.
- Prescribe medications as permitted by state regulations.
- Develop and implement individualized plans for health care management.
- Explain procedures to patients, family members, staff members or others.
- Order and interpret diagnostic or laboratory tests.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most APRNs work full time. In physicians’ offices, APRNs typically work during normal business hours. In hospitals and other healthcare facilities, they may work in shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays, to provide round-the-clock patient care. Some APRNs, especially those who work in critical care or those who deliver babies, also may need to be on call.
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 dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost 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.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. 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
- Active Listening4.1
- Speaking4.1
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Learning4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Writing3.9
- Learning Strategies3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.1
- Coordination3.9
- Service Orientation3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Instructing3.3
- Systems Analysis3.1
- Time Management3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.1 |
| Coordination | 3.9 |
| Service Orientation | 3.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 |
| Instructing | 3.3 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
“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 Nurse Midwife?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Nurse Midwife |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| 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 investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Social6.0
- Investigative4.3
- Conventional3.4
- Realistic3.2
- Enterprising3.0
- 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 Nurse 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 nurse midwives highlighted
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- Nurse Midwife$134,040
- 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 |
| Physician Assistant | $135,880 |
| Nurse Midwife | $134,040 |
| 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 Nurse Midwife appears on
Questions
Nurse Midwife: frequently asked questions
How much do Nurse Midwives make?
Nurse Midwives earn a median of $134,040 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 163% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $64.44/hr. The middle half earn between $116,510 and $157,400. The top 10% earn $188,320 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Nurse Midwife?
Yes. BLS reports a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for Nurse Midwives, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 81.3% hold master's degree.
Is Nurse Midwife a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 11.5% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Nurse Midwife do?
Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners, also referred to as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), coordinate patient care and may provide primary and specialty healthcare. A core O*NET task: provide prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, or newborn care to patients. Employers most often ask for Medical software, Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Nurse Midwives the most?
The highest state medians for Nurse Midwives are California ($203,840), Hawaii ($170,110), Massachusetts ($159,800) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Nurse Midwife?
O*NET scores Nurse Midwives highest on the Social, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. 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.