How much do nurse midwives make?
Answer
Nurse midwives in the US earned a median of $134,040 a year ($64.44 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $116,510 to $157,400.
- Median annual pay
- $134,040
- Mean $136,980
- Median hourly pay
- $64.44
- Mean $65.86
- Typical range (10th–90th)
- $93.6K–$188K
- $93,620 to $188,320
- US jobs
- 7,920
- +11.5% projected, 2025–35
BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. 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 nurse midwife: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: California
Nurse Midwife pay range
Annual wages, May 2025
- 10th percentile$93,620
- 25th percentile$116,510
- Median$134,040
- 75th percentile$157,400
- 90th percentile$188,320
Half of all nurse midwives earned more than $134,040 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $93,620; the top 10% made over $188,320. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $116,510 to $157,400.
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 | $93,620 | $45.01 | $7,802 |
| 25th | $116,510 | $56.01 | $9,709 |
| Median (50th) | $134,040 | $64.44 | $11,170 |
| 75th | $157,400 | $75.67 | $13,117 |
| 90th | $188,320 | $90.54 | $15,693 |
| Mean (average) | $136,980 | $65.86 | $11,415 |
Nurse Midwife salary by state
Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024
Highest-paying states
- 1. California $203,840
- 2. Hawaii $170,110
- 3. Massachusetts $159,800
- 4. Washington $158,970
- 5. New Jersey $153,970
Lowest-paying states
- 39. North Dakota $72,630
- 38. District of Columbia $101,450
- 37. Indiana $101,630
- 36. Georgia $105,510
- 35. Tennessee $116,980
Best after cost of living: California. Its median of $203,840 is worth about $184,104 at national-average prices.
| Alabama | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $133,430 | 17 | $130,355 | 27 | $64.15 | 60 | 0.17 |
| Arizona | $140,960 | 10 | $140,012 | 12 | $67.77 | 80 | 0.03 |
| Arkansas | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| California | $203,840 | 1 | $184,104 | 1 | $98.00 | 870 | 0.05 |
| Colorado | $137,610 | 13 | $133,535 | 22 | $66.16 | 180 | 0.06 |
| Connecticut | $130,790 | 22 | $126,233 | 32 | $62.88 | 150 | 0.09 |
| Delaware | $127,510 | 25 | $127,755 | 29 | $61.30 | — | — |
| District of Columbia | $101,450 | 38 | $92,310 | 38 | $48.77 | 70 | 0.10 |
| Florida | $127,460 | 26 | $123,252 | 33 | $61.28 | 460 | 0.05 |
| Georgia | $105,510 | 36 | $109,572 | 36 | $50.73 | 300 | 0.06 |
| Hawaii | $170,110 | 2 | $154,714 | 2 | $81.78 | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Illinois | $120,840 | 32 | $120,891 | 35 | $58.09 | 280 | 0.05 |
| Indiana | $101,630 | 37 | $108,894 | 37 | $48.86 | 170 | 0.05 |
| Iowa | $131,360 | 20 | $149,678 | 6 | $63.16 | 80 | 0.05 |
| Kansas | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | $119,280 | 34 | $135,227 | 17 | $57.35 | 60 | 0.03 |
| Maine | $133,270 | 18 | $137,321 | 14 | $64.07 | 50 | 0.07 |
| Maryland | $140,120 | 11 | $133,500 | 23 | $67.37 | 240 | 0.09 |
| Massachusetts | $159,800 | 3 | $151,101 | 5 | $76.83 | 280 | 0.08 |
| Michigan | $125,140 | 28 | $130,060 | 28 | $60.16 | 430 | 0.10 |
| Minnesota | $134,810 | 16 | $136,695 | 16 | $64.81 | 410 | 0.14 |
| Mississippi | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Missouri | $130,220 | 23 | $143,387 | 8 | $62.61 | 80 | 0.03 |
| Montana | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | $138,880 | 12 | $154,135 | 4 | $66.77 | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | $142,960 | 9 | $137,244 | 15 | $68.73 | 60 | 0.09 |
| New Jersey | $153,970 | 5 | $141,510 | 10 | $74.03 | 120 | 0.03 |
| New Mexico | $123,350 | 30 | $133,768 | 20 | $59.30 | 50 | 0.06 |
| New York | $144,510 | 8 | $133,904 | 19 | $69.48 | 360 | 0.04 |
| North Carolina | $126,040 | 27 | $133,622 | 21 | $60.59 | 240 | 0.05 |
| North Dakota | $72,630 | 39 | $81,644 | 39 | $34.92 | — | — |
| Ohio | $127,730 | 24 | $137,679 | 13 | $61.41 | 180 | 0.03 |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oregon | $146,900 | 7 | $142,123 | 9 | $70.62 | 240 | 0.12 |
| Pennsylvania | $119,990 | 33 | $122,976 | 34 | $57.69 | 320 | 0.05 |
| Rhode Island | $135,180 | 15 | $132,167 | 25 | $64.99 | 80 | 0.16 |
| South Carolina | $122,390 | 31 | $130,551 | 26 | $58.84 | 100 | 0.04 |
| South Dakota | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | $116,980 | 35 | $127,332 | 30 | $56.24 | 330 | 0.10 |
| Texas | $123,380 | 29 | $127,121 | 31 | $59.32 | 290 | 0.02 |
| Utah | $130,930 | 21 | $132,434 | 24 | $62.95 | 140 | 0.08 |
| Vermont | $151,030 | 6 | $154,178 | 3 | $72.61 | 60 | 0.21 |
| Virginia | $135,710 | 14 | $134,228 | 18 | $65.25 | — | — |
| Washington | $158,970 | 4 | $148,552 | 7 | $76.43 | 170 | 0.05 |
| West Virginia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | $133,070 | 19 | $141,421 | 11 | $63.97 | 200 | 0.07 |
| Wyoming | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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 (12 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.
Best-paying metro areas for nurse midwives
41 metro areas with published pay
| Metro area | Median | Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $218,760 | $205,520 | 40 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $212,630 | $183,915 | 190 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $202,850 | $178,619 | 220 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $191,220 | $179,263 | 80 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $184,620 | $166,383 | — |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $181,450 | $162,173 | 60 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $174,870 | $161,519 | 200 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $162,970 | $146,644 | 70 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $159,730 | $141,903 | 240 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $151,640 | $158,215 | 40 |
| Metro area | Jobs | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 310 | $149,170 | $136,999 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 300 | $134,810 | $128,608 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 240 | $159,730 | $141,903 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 230 | $105,510 | $105,449 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 220 | $202,850 | $178,619 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 200 | $174,870 | $161,519 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 190 | $212,630 | $183,915 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 180 | $115,500 | $111,492 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 180 | $125,140 | $124,768 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 170 | $77,620 | $75,687 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).
What moves nurse midwife pay: employers and settings
Nurse midwives are among the better-paid nursing roles, with a median of $134,040 and a range from $93,620, at the 10th percentile, to $188,320, at the 90th.
Setting matters most. Outpatient care centers, which include many birth centers and community clinics, have the highest median at $157,440. Hospitals pay a median of $140,990; physician offices, the largest employer with 41.3% of jobs, pay $130,870. Offices of other health practitioners, such as midwife-run practices, are much lower at $94,180. Government employers pay close to the private median; local government reaches $137,610.
Hospital jobs that include night shifts, weekend coverage and in-house call may add shift differentials or call pay, so ask each employer how those hours are paid.
State makes an unusually large difference in this small field. California leads at $203,840, followed by Hawaii at $170,110, while North Dakota's median is $72,630. Even after adjusting for living costs, California stays on top at $184,104 adjusted.
| Industry | Share of jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Offices of Physicians | 41.3% | $130,870 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 23% | $140,990 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 19.7% | $157,440 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 9.6% | $94,180 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 1.4% | $134,870 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | 0.9% | $101,450 |
| Employer type | Jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Private employers | 7,530 | $133,430 |
| State government (incl. schools and hospitals) | 130 | $135,480 |
| Local government (incl. schools and hospitals) | 260 | $137,610 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).
Nurse Midwife pay over time
Median annual pay, 2015–2025
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- 2025
The median rose from $92,510 in 2015 to $134,040 in 2025, up 45% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $125,055 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 nurse midwives do
A certified nurse midwife (CNM) is an advanced practice registered nurse who cares for women through pregnancy, labor, birth and the weeks after, and who also provides everyday gynecologic care. A CNM runs prenatal visits, orders ultrasounds and lab work, manages labor, catches babies, repairs tears and checks the newborn. Outside pregnancy, the same midwife does annual exams, Pap tests, contraception including IUD and implant placement, menopause care and treatment of common infections, and can prescribe medications.
Most births attended by CNMs happen in hospitals, but midwives also work in freestanding birth centers and, less often, attend home births. Clinic days look like a busy primary care office, while hospital shifts are spent on the labor unit. CNMs work alongside obstetricians, labor and delivery nurses, doulas and pediatric teams, and consult or transfer care to a physician when a pregnancy becomes high risk or a cesarean is needed. The job includes nights, weekends and call, because babies arrive on their own schedule.
A typical day
- See patients for prenatal checkups: blood pressure, fundal height, fetal heart tones and test results
- Manage labor on the hospital unit or at a birth center and deliver babies
- Handle complications such as postpartum bleeding or a slow-to-breathe newborn until help arrives
- Do well-woman exams, cervical screening and contraception visits, including IUD insertion
- Order and read labs and ultrasounds, and prescribe medications
- Counsel patients on nutrition, breastfeeding, birth options and recovery
- Chart each visit and consult with obstetricians on high-risk cases
Also called: midwife, certified nurse midwife, certified nurse-midwife (cnm), staff certified nurse midwife, staff nurse midwife.
How to become a nurse midwife
Full guideTo become a nurse midwife you first become a registered nurse, then complete a graduate degree in nurse-midwifery from an ACME-accredited program and pass the American Midwifery Certification Board exam to earn the CNM credential, followed by state APRN licensure. Expect about 6 to 8 years after high school.
- Typical time
- 7-8 years
- Fastest: About 6 years
- Minimum education
- Graduate degree (master's or doctorate) from a midwifery program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME), plus an RN license
- License
- Required in all 50 states and DC: an RN license plus state recognition or licensure as a certified nurse midwife (APRN)
- Typical training cost
- $625–$45.9K
- See the guide for what it includes
Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a nurse midwife: 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
- 7-8 years
- Typical path in our guide
- Training cost
- $625–$45.9K
- Tuition and exam fees, before aid
- Median pay
- $134,040
- $83,060 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
- Cost vs. one year's pay
- 0–34%
- Training cost as a share of a year at the median
Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($83,060 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (7-8 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 nurse midwives
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +11.5%
- All occupations +3.5%
- Jobs in 2025
- 8,200
- 9,100 projected for 2035
- Openings each year
- 400
- New jobs plus replacements
- Self-employed
- 1.7%
- Not in the pay figures above
BLS projects nurse midwife jobs to grow 11.5% from 2025 to 2035, from 8,200 to 9,100, more than three times the 3.5% average for all occupations. Because the field is small, that adds up to only about 400 openings a year, so new CNMs may need to be flexible about location.
BLS ties demand for advanced practice nurses to rising use of health care, wider use of team-based care in hospitals, physician offices and clinics, and state laws that let these nurses do more on their own. Patients are also more aware of advanced practice nurses as a source of everyday care.
Related careers and their pay
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- Registered Nurse$97,550
- OB-GYN$292,910
- CRNA$236,590
- LPN$64,400
- Pediatrician$210,040
- Paramedic$60,600
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Nurse Midwife salary FAQ
How much do nurse midwives make an hour?
The median hourly wage for nurse midwives was $64.44 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $45.01 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $90.54. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.
Which state pays nurse midwives the most?
California has the highest median pay for nurse midwives, $203,840 a year, followed by Hawaii ($170,110) and Massachusetts ($159,800). After adjusting for each state's price level, California comes out ahead at about $184,104 in national-average dollars.
Do nurse midwives make $200,000 a year?
Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of nurse midwives earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $134,040, and the top 10% earn more than $188,320. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.
What is the difference between a nurse midwife and a doula?
A certified nurse midwife is a licensed clinician with a nursing license and a graduate degree. A CNM diagnoses, prescribes, manages labor and delivers babies. A doula provides emotional and physical support during pregnancy, labor and the postpartum period but gives no medical care and needs no license. Many families use both, and doulas often work alongside midwives in hospitals and birth centers.
What is the difference between a CNM and a CPM?
A CNM is a registered nurse with a graduate degree from an ACME-accredited program who passed the AMCB exam and can practice in every state, mostly in hospitals and clinics. A certified professional midwife (CPM) is credentialed by NARM, does not need a nursing background and focuses on out-of-hospital births. State rules for CPMs vary widely.
Do nurse midwives only deliver babies?
No. Many CNMs spend more time in the clinic than on the labor unit. Their scope covers gynecologic care from the teen years through menopause: annual exams, birth control, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, and care for common problems. Some midwives work in office-only roles with no births at all, while hospital-based midwives may spend most of their shifts in labor and delivery.
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 29-1161
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
- O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1161.00), 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
- Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners: Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- NCLEX Fees and Payment, NCSBN · checked October 28, 2026
- Certification Fee Schedule, American Midwifery Certification Board · checked October 28, 2026
- Become a Midwife, American College of Nurse-Midwives · checked October 28, 2026
- Certified Nurse-Midwife and Certified Midwife Education and Certification in the United States, American College of Nurse-Midwives · checked October 28, 2026
- Nurse-Midwifery Specialty, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing · checked October 28, 2026
- Nurse-Midwifery (MSN), Rutgers School of Nursing · checked October 28, 2026
- Certificate Maintenance Program FAQs, American Midwifery Certification Board · checked October 28, 2026
- Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) certification, North American Registry of Midwives · checked October 28, 2026
- Accredited Midwifery Education Programs, Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education · checked October 28, 2026
- Comparison of Certified Nurse-Midwives, Certified Midwives, and Certified Professional Midwives, American College of Nurse-Midwives · checked October 28, 2026
- Step-by-Step Exam Application Process, American Midwifery Certification Board · 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.