Nurse Midwives
Also called: Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), Direct-Entry Midwife, Nurse Midwife, Postpartum Nurse, Postpartum RN (Postpartum Registered Nurse), Registered Nurse Midwife, Staff Certified Nurse Midwife, Staff Nurse Midwife
Diagnose and coordinate all aspects of the birthing process, either independently or as part of a healthcare team.
What nurse midwives do
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.
- Initiate emergency interventions to stabilize patients.
- Document findings of physical examinations.
- Educate patients and family members regarding prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, newborn, or interconception care.
- Perform physical examinations by taking vital signs, checking neurological reflexes, examining breasts, or performing pelvic examinations.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Nurse Midwives salary
The median annual wage for nurse midwives is $134,040 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $93,620 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $188,320. The mean annual wage is $136,980.
The mean hourly wage of $65.00 is 9.0× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Nurse Midwives (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $134,040 → in 3 years $148,600 → in 5 years $159,200 → in 10 years $189,100 (10-year range $162,600–$219,500). The model assumes pay growth of +3.5% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Nurse Midwives
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Nurse Midwives? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Nurse Midwives
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Nurse Midwives United States | 助産師 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $134,040 | ¥5.67M ≈ $36,038 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $189,100 | ¥7.31M |
| Outlook score | 71 | 63 |
| AI replacement risk | 27% Low | 8% Very low |
| Workers | 7,920 | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Nurse Midwives
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 5 — extensive preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become nurse midwives
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as nurse midwives
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.