Healthcare practitioners
Nurse midwife
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.
Median pay
$134,040
Growth to 2035
+12%
faster than average
Openings a year
400
Time to qualify*
2 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Nurse midwife
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Nurse midwife: 82% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core 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.
Also called: Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) · Nurse Midwife · Staff Certified Nurse Midwife · Staff Nurse Midwife
Outlook and AI
Nurse midwives held 8,200 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 9,100 by 2035 (+12%, faster than average; all jobs: +3.5%).