How much do labor and delivery nurses make?
About these figures: BLS does not publish separate pay for labor and delivery nurses. The pay figures on this page are for all registered nurses (SOC 29-1141), the occupation labor and delivery nurses belong to. What differs for labor and delivery nurses.
Answer
BLS does not publish pay for labor and delivery nurses separately. Registered nurses, the occupation labor and delivery nurses belong to, earned a median of $97,550 a year ($46.90 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $80,330 to $112,350.
- Median annual pay
- $97,550
- Mean $101,420
- Median hourly pay
- $46.90
- Mean $48.76
- Typical range (10th–90th)
- $68.9K–$137K
- $68,940 to $137,470
- US jobs
- 3,379,720
- +5.6% projected, 2025–35
BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026; figures for all registered nurses. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology
How to become a labor and delivery nurse: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: California
Pay range for all registered nurses
Annual wages, May 2025
- 10th percentile$68,940
- 25th percentile$80,330
- Median$97,550
- 75th percentile$112,350
- 90th percentile$137,470
Half of all registered nurses earned more than $97,550 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $68,940; the top 10% made over $137,470. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $80,330 to $112,350.
These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $68,940 | $33.14 | $5,745 |
| 25th | $80,330 | $38.62 | $6,694 |
| Median (50th) | $97,550 | $46.90 | $8,129 |
| 75th | $112,350 | $54.02 | $9,363 |
| 90th | $137,470 | $66.09 | $11,456 |
| Mean (average) | $101,420 | $48.76 | $8,452 |
Labor and Delivery Nurse salary by state: pay for all registered nurses
Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024
Highest-paying states
- 1. California $140,270
- 2. Hawaii $136,320
- 3. Oregon $129,010
- 4. Washington $124,200
- 5. Alaska $109,480
Lowest-paying states
- 51. Alabama $77,080
- 50. Mississippi $77,090
- 49. South Dakota $78,060
- 48. Iowa $78,630
- 47. Arkansas $78,940
Best after cost of living: California. Its median of $140,270 is worth about $126,689 at national-average prices.
| Alabama | $77,080 | 51 | $86,779 | 49 | $37.06 | 54,340 | 25.71 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $109,480 | 5 | $106,957 | 5 | $52.64 | 7,510 | 23.06 |
| Arizona | $99,500 | 18 | $98,831 | 16 | $47.84 | 73,150 | 22.58 |
| Arkansas | $78,940 | 47 | $90,801 | 32 | $37.95 | 29,400 | 22.55 |
| California | $140,270 | 1 | $126,689 | 1 | $67.44 | 338,940 | 18.61 |
| Colorado | $100,260 | 14 | $97,291 | 21 | $48.20 | 54,490 | 18.96 |
| Connecticut | $102,740 | 10 | $99,160 | 13 | $49.39 | 40,110 | 23.65 |
| Delaware | $99,520 | 17 | $99,711 | 11 | $47.85 | 14,290 | 29.48 |
| District of Columbia | $102,540 | 11 | $93,302 | 29 | $49.30 | 11,440 | 16.30 |
| Florida | $84,190 | 34 | $81,411 | 51 | $40.48 | 229,940 | 23.16 |
| Georgia | $93,550 | 27 | $97,151 | 22 | $44.98 | 100,950 | 20.65 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 | 2 | $123,983 | 3 | $65.54 | 12,940 | 20.62 |
| Idaho | $92,460 | 28 | $96,823 | 23 | $44.45 | 16,880 | 19.69 |
| Illinois | $95,990 | 21 | $96,030 | 24 | $46.15 | 138,910 | 22.78 |
| Indiana | $83,500 | 36 | $89,468 | 41 | $40.14 | 68,980 | 21.55 |
| Iowa | $78,630 | 48 | $89,595 | 39 | $37.80 | 34,420 | 22.08 |
| Kansas | $79,320 | 46 | $88,067 | 47 | $38.14 | 33,800 | 23.51 |
| Kentucky | $81,040 | 42 | $89,886 | 37 | $38.96 | 50,300 | 25.14 |
| Louisiana | $80,230 | 44 | $90,957 | 31 | $38.57 | 48,970 | 25.31 |
| Maine | $86,990 | 29 | $89,634 | 38 | $41.82 | 16,540 | 25.83 |
| Maryland | $99,790 | 15 | $95,075 | 26 | $47.98 | 52,910 | 19.15 |
| Massachusetts | $104,550 | 8 | $98,859 | 15 | $50.27 | 88,200 | 24.25 |
| Michigan | $94,300 | 25 | $98,008 | 19 | $45.34 | 104,950 | 23.83 |
| Minnesota | $101,510 | 12 | $102,929 | 7 | $48.80 | 70,110 | 23.77 |
| Mississippi | $77,090 | 50 | $88,657 | 45 | $37.06 | 29,060 | 24.99 |
| Missouri | $81,780 | 40 | $90,049 | 36 | $39.32 | 76,310 | 25.99 |
| Montana | $85,280 | 30 | $90,105 | 35 | $41.00 | 10,950 | 21.41 |
| Nebraska | $84,730 | 31 | $94,037 | 28 | $40.74 | 24,720 | 24.14 |
| Nevada | $103,670 | 9 | $103,692 | 6 | $49.84 | 27,070 | 17.45 |
| New Hampshire | $99,700 | 16 | $95,714 | 25 | $47.93 | 15,390 | 22.52 |
| New Jersey | $106,500 | 7 | $97,882 | 20 | $51.20 | 92,680 | 21.62 |
| New Mexico | $94,340 | 24 | $102,308 | 8 | $45.36 | 17,980 | 20.65 |
| New York | $109,440 | 6 | $101,408 | 10 | $52.62 | 205,810 | 21.24 |
| North Carolina | $84,350 | 33 | $89,424 | 42 | $40.56 | 111,120 | 22.49 |
| North Dakota | $80,730 | 43 | $90,750 | 33 | $38.81 | 11,340 | 26.40 |
| Ohio | $82,510 | 38 | $88,937 | 43 | $39.67 | 143,730 | 25.90 |
| Oklahoma | $82,920 | 37 | $94,396 | 27 | $39.87 | 38,270 | 22.41 |
| Oregon | $129,010 | 3 | $124,815 | 2 | $62.02 | 39,730 | 20.20 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,430 | 20 | $98,830 | 17 | $46.36 | 146,520 | 24.16 |
| Rhode Island | $100,640 | 13 | $98,397 | 18 | $48.39 | 10,090 | 20.13 |
| South Carolina | $82,360 | 39 | $87,852 | 48 | $39.60 | 49,750 | 21.58 |
| South Dakota | $78,060 | 49 | $88,118 | 46 | $37.53 | 14,710 | 32.17 |
| Tennessee | $81,500 | 41 | $88,712 | 44 | $39.18 | 72,200 | 22.02 |
| Texas | $95,970 | 22 | $98,880 | 14 | $46.14 | 271,380 | 19.29 |
| Utah | $84,600 | 32 | $85,572 | 50 | $40.67 | 27,420 | 15.80 |
| Vermont | $97,460 | 19 | $99,492 | 12 | $46.86 | 7,410 | 24.39 |
| Virginia | $93,600 | 26 | $92,578 | 30 | $45.00 | 77,490 | 18.86 |
| Washington | $124,200 | 4 | $116,061 | 4 | $59.71 | 69,260 | 19.51 |
| West Virginia | $80,130 | 45 | $89,534 | 40 | $38.52 | 23,430 | 33.39 |
| Wisconsin | $95,530 | 23 | $101,525 | 9 | $45.93 | 68,060 | 23.14 |
| Wyoming | $83,760 | 35 | $90,365 | 34 | $40.27 | 5,330 | 19.00 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.
Best-paying metro areas for registered nurses
374 metro areas with published pay
| Metro area | Median | Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $216,740 | $196,282 | 22,930 |
| Vallejo, CA | $203,290 | $187,400 | 4,120 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $186,610 | $161,409 | 41,750 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $174,550 | $161,944 | 3,720 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $171,460 | $160,739 | 23,590 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $170,960 | $155,565 | 1,750 |
| Yuba City, CA | $149,320 | $143,256 | 1,080 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $144,350 | $131,955 | 1,270 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $139,520 | $124,697 | 28,680 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $139,260 | $125,504 | 9,680 |
| Metro area | Jobs | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 197,740 | $119,720 | $106,358 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 109,360 | $135,560 | $119,367 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 100,240 | $100,490 | $97,003 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 76,680 | $101,420 | $98,380 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 73,790 | $101,180 | $98,660 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 65,910 | $99,830 | $101,218 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 64,240 | $106,180 | $98,073 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 61,670 | $91,380 | $80,049 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 56,460 | $100,490 | $100,432 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 53,700 | $100,830 | $97,594 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).
What moves labor and delivery nurse pay: employers and settings
BLS does not publish separate pay for labor and delivery nurses. The figures on this page are for all registered nurses, an occupation of 3,379,720 workers that covers every specialty from L&D to home health. Treat them as the general RN market, not an L&D figure.
Within that RN data, setting is the clearest pay factor. General medical and surgical hospitals, where most labor units are, employ more than half of RNs. Their median is $100,210. That is above the all-RN median of $97,550. Physicians' offices pay a median of $85,000. Home health pays $84,930. Federal government RNs have a median of $121,240.
State makes an even bigger difference. California has the highest RN median at $140,270, followed by Hawaii at $136,320, Oregon at $129,010, Washington at $124,200, and Alaska at $109,480. Alabama is lowest at $77,080. Beyond the BLS data, L&D nurses' pay typically depends on night and weekend shift differentials, overtime and on-call pay, union contracts at many hospitals, and certifications such as RNC-OB, which some hospitals reward through clinical ladder programs.
| Industry | Share of jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 56.3% | $100,210 |
| Offices of Physicians | 6.9% | $85,000 |
| Home Health Care Services | 5.9% | $84,930 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 5.1% | $99,350 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 4.2% | $85,510 |
| Employment Services | 3% | $90,840 |
| Employer type | Jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Private employers | 2,841,730 | $97,170 |
| Federal government (incl. Postal Service) | 101,140 | $121,240 |
| State government (incl. schools and hospitals) | 157,270 | $102,440 |
| Local government (incl. schools and hospitals) | 279,580 | $85,420 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).
Registered nurses pay over time
Median annual pay, 2015–2025
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- 2025
The median rose from $67,490 in 2015 to $97,550 in 2025, up 45% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $91,233 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 7% over the period.
BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.
What differs for labor and delivery nurses
Labor and delivery nurses hold the same RN license as every other registered nurse, but their patients and skills are different. Instead of one sick patient, they care for two: the person in labor and the baby, whose condition they track mostly through the fetal monitor. The work centers on hospital labor units, triage and cesarean operating rooms rather than general medical floors.
Most L&D nurses build specialty skills on the job. Hospitals usually expect Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) training from the American Academy of Pediatrics, and many expect fetal monitoring education. Two National Certification Corporation credentials are common: RNC-OB (Inpatient Obstetric Nursing), which requires 24 months and 2,000 hours of specialty RN experience, and C-EFM (Electronic Fetal Monitoring), which has no minimum experience requirement.
Nurses move into L&D in two ways: some hospitals hire new graduates into labor units through nurse residency programs, often after a student practicum there, while many others transfer after a year or more on a postpartum, mother-baby or medical-surgical unit.
What labor and delivery nurses do
A labor and delivery nurse, or L&D nurse, is a registered nurse who cares for women and birthing people through labor, birth and the first hours after delivery. They admit patients in labor, check cervical progress, start IVs, give medications such as oxytocin and antibiotics, and read the fetal heart rate monitor strip for signs that the baby is in trouble. During birth they coach pushing, assist the obstetrician or midwife, and receive the newborn, drying, assessing and, when needed, resuscitating the baby.
L&D nurses also work in triage, sorting out whether a patient is in labor or has a problem such as high blood pressure or bleeding, and they circulate in the operating room for cesarean births. Most work in hospital labor units, with some in birth centers. Shifts are usually 12 hours, and births happen at all hours, so nights, weekends and holidays are part of the job. Emergencies such as hemorrhage or a sudden drop in fetal heart rate can turn a quiet shift in minutes.
A typical day
- Admit and assess patients in triage and labor, including vital signs and cervical checks
- Watch and interpret continuous fetal heart rate and contraction monitoring
- Start IVs and give labor medications, antibiotics and blood pressure drugs
- Coach patients through pushing and help with positioning and pain relief, including epidurals
- Assist the obstetrician or midwife at delivery and in the operating room for cesareans
- Assess and stabilize newborns, start skin-to-skin contact and help with first feeding
- Respond to emergencies such as postpartum hemorrhage, preeclampsia and shoulder dystocia
Also called: l&d nurse, labor & delivery nurse, l and d nurse.
How to become a labor and delivery nurse
Full guideTo become a labor and delivery nurse, you earn an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing, pass the NCLEX-RN to get your RN license, then get hired onto a labor unit, either as a new graduate or after some general nursing experience. Plan on 2 to 5 years, plus 2 more of L&D work before RNC-OB certification.
- Typical time
- 3-5 years
- Fastest: About 2-3 years
- Minimum education
- Associate degree (ADN) or bachelor's degree (BSN) in nursing; many hospitals prefer a BSN
- License
- RN license required in all 50 states and DC; no separate L&D license
- Typical training cost
- $9.6K–$38.3K
- See the guide for what it includes
Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a labor and delivery nurse: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.
Is it worth it? Training cost against pay
Compare careers- Training time
- 3-5 years
- Typical path in our guide
- Training cost
- $9.6K–$38.3K
- Tuition and exam fees, before aid
- Median pay
- $97,550
- All registered nurses; $46,570 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
- Cost vs. one year's pay
- 10–39%
- Training cost as a share of a year at the median
Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($46,570 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (3-5 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.
Job outlook for registered nurses
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +5.6%
- All occupations +3.5%
- Jobs in 2025
- 3,465,400
- 3,660,100 projected for 2035
- Openings each year
- 180,800
- New jobs plus replacements
- Self-employed
- 0.5%
- Not in the pay figures above
BLS does not project L&D jobs separately. For all registered nurses, it expects growth of 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, from 3,465,400 to 3,660,100 jobs, faster than the 3.5% for all occupations, with about 180,800 openings a year. Most openings come from nurses retiring or leaving the field. BLS ties RN demand to an aging population and more chronic illness, which matter less for labor units. L&D hiring depends on how many babies a hospital delivers, and a labor unit employs fewer nurses than a hospital's general medical floors, so the specialty offers fewer openings.
Related careers and their pay
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- LPN$64,400
- Nurse Midwife$134,040
- CRNA$236,590
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- CNA$42,260
- Paramedic$60,600
- EMT$44,470
Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Labor and Delivery Nurse salary FAQ
How much do labor and delivery nurses make an hour?
BLS does not publish separate pay for labor and delivery nurses. For all registered nurses, the occupation they belong to, the median hourly wage was $46.90 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33.14 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $66.09. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.
Which state pays labor and delivery nurses the most?
BLS does not publish separate pay for labor and delivery nurses. For all registered nurses, the occupation they belong to, California has the highest median pay, $140,270 a year, followed by Hawaii ($136,320) and Oregon ($129,010). After adjusting for each state's price level, California comes out ahead at about $126,689 in national-average dollars.
Do labor and delivery nurses make six figures?
BLS does not publish separate pay for labor and delivery nurses. For all registered nurses, the occupation they belong to, based on the BLS percentiles, between 25% and 50% of registered nurses earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $97,550, and the top 10% earn more than $137,470. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.
What is the difference between a labor and delivery nurse and a midwife?
An L&D nurse is a registered nurse who cares for patients during labor under the direction of an obstetrician or midwife. A certified nurse-midwife is an advanced practice nurse with a graduate degree and national certification who can manage labor and deliver babies herself or himself, and provide prenatal and gynecologic care. Many midwives start as L&D nurses. See our nurse-midwife page.
Do labor and delivery nurses deliver babies?
Not as the planned provider. The obstetrician, family physician or midwife delivers the baby, and the nurse supports the patient, monitors mother and baby and assists. Because births can move fast, L&D nurses sometimes catch a baby before the provider arrives and are trained for that situation. Their responsibility then shifts to stabilizing the newborn and watching for maternal bleeding.
Is labor and delivery nursing stressful?
It can be. Most births go smoothly, but emergencies such as hemorrhage, a falling fetal heart rate or a seizure from eclampsia happen without warning, and the nurse often spots them first. Stillbirths and neonatal deaths are part of the work too. Many L&D nurses say the good births outweigh the hard days, and units usually train heavily in drills for emergencies.
Sources
Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-1141
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
- O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1141.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
- Registered Nurses, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
- Fees & Payment, NCLEX (NCSBN) · checked October 28, 2026
- NCC Credential in Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (RNC-OB), National Certification Corporation · checked October 28, 2026
- Nurse Licensure Compact, NCSBN / Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators · checked October 28, 2026
- Registration, NCLEX (NCSBN) · checked October 28, 2026
- NRP Provider, American Academy of Pediatrics · checked October 28, 2026
- Certification in Electronic Fetal Monitoring (C-EFM), National Certification Corporation · checked October 28, 2026
- NCLEX Fee Changes Effective Feb. 1, 2027, NCSBN · checked October 28, 2026
Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.