Nurse midwives salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $93,620 | $45.01 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $134,040 | $64.44 |
| Mean (average) | $136,980 | $65.86 |
| 90th percentile | $188,320 | $90.54 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Nurse midwives pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 39 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $133,430 | $111,400 | $175,290 | 60 | 3.35 |
| Arizona | $140,960 | $101,160 | $258,680 | 80 | 0.49 |
| California | $203,840 | $140,970 | $227,590 | 870 | 0.93 |
| Colorado | $137,610 | $124,970 | $161,460 | 180 | 1.26 |
| Connecticut | $130,790 | $122,870 | $147,440 | 150 | 1.71 |
| Delaware | $127,510 | $102,680 | $153,610 | ||
| District of Columbia | $101,450 | $92,250 | $150,640 | 70 | 2.02 |
| Florida | $127,460 | $49,780 | $146,590 | 460 | 0.9 |
| Georgia | $105,510 | $86,290 | $164,300 | 300 | 1.21 |
| Hawaii | $170,110 | $125,720 | $193,780 | ||
| Illinois | $120,840 | $58,200 | $156,920 | 280 | 0.9 |
| Indiana | $101,630 | $101,630 | $145,100 | 170 | 1.03 |
| Iowa | $131,360 | $81,620 | $158,930 | 80 | 0.95 |
| Louisiana | $119,280 | $96,680 | $134,640 | 60 | 0.64 |
| Maine | $133,270 | $110,900 | $144,730 | 50 | 1.4 |
| Maryland | $140,120 | $127,340 | $166,910 | 240 | 1.73 |
| Massachusetts | $159,800 | $120,230 | $204,000 | 280 | 1.5 |
| Michigan | $125,140 | $104,370 | $142,430 | 430 | 1.9 |
| Minnesota | $134,810 | $110,050 | $158,440 | 410 | 2.7 |
| Missouri | $130,220 | $89,860 | $154,560 | 80 | 0.54 |
| Nebraska | $138,880 | $130,370 | $138,880 | ||
| New Hampshire | $142,960 | $78,680 | $164,930 | 60 | 1.69 |
| New Jersey | $153,970 | $134,400 | $193,760 | 120 | 0.53 |
| New Mexico | $123,350 | $61,430 | $150,340 | 50 | 1.08 |
| New York | $144,510 | $104,860 | $177,240 | 360 | 0.73 |
| North Carolina | $126,040 | $97,830 | $155,340 | 240 | 0.95 |
| North Dakota | $72,630 | $71,200 | $163,860 | ||
| Ohio | $127,730 | $105,110 | $143,250 | 180 | 0.62 |
| Oregon | $146,900 | $129,910 | $161,180 | 240 | 2.41 |
| Pennsylvania | $119,990 | $77,620 | $158,520 | 320 | 1.04 |
| Rhode Island | $135,180 | $117,100 | $168,300 | 80 | 3.11 |
| South Carolina | $122,390 | $90,880 | $151,590 | 100 | 0.83 |
| Tennessee | $116,980 | $93,620 | $135,410 | 330 | 1.96 |
| Texas | $123,380 | $90,260 | $153,100 | 290 | 0.4 |
| Utah | $130,930 | $59,340 | $169,440 | 140 | 1.55 |
| Vermont | $151,030 | $126,090 | $169,170 | 60 | 4.15 |
| Virginia | $135,710 | $108,110 | $164,450 | ||
| Washington | $158,970 | $73,320 | $175,100 | 170 | 0.92 |
| Wisconsin | $133,070 | $87,990 | $156,490 | 200 | 1.32 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for nurse midwives
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 400. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1.7%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for nurse midwives
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery CIP 51.3807
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical 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.
Technology skills
- Epic Systems (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Acrendo Medical Software Ob/Gyn EMR
- Allscripts Professional EHR
- Amkai AmkaiCharts
- Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR
- Cerner Millennium
- ChartWare EMR
- GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
- Greenway Medical Technologies PrimeSUITE
- Medscribbler Enterprise
- MicroFour PracticeStudio.NET EMR
- NextGen Healthcare Information Systems EMR
- Practice Partner Total Practice Partner
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Instructing.
Common job titles: Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), Nurse Midwife, Staff Certified Nurse Midwife, Staff Nurse Midwife.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do nurse midwives make?
The national median annual wage for nurse midwives was $134,040 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $93,620 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $188,320. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do nurse midwives need?
BLS lists master's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is nurse midwives a growing career?
BLS projects employment of nurse midwives to change +11.5% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 400 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay nurse midwives the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were California ($203,840), Hawaii ($170,110), Massachusetts ($159,800). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.