Throughout the United States, a midwife is often seen as a heath care provider who extends herself in rendering care for women of all sorts. While there are different types of midwives, there is one in particular that is of interest. These individuals are registered practitioners and are adept in providing women with counseling and care during and after pre-conception, pregnancy and child birth. They are known as Nurse Midwives. This specialized field is limited in number with only 5,000 employed, but the Nurse Midwife salary more than makes up for this fact.
Contents
- 1 Average Nurse Midwife Salary by Percentiles
- 2 Top Paying Industries for Nurse Midwives
- 3 Highest States for Nurse Midwives
- 4 Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas for Nurse Midwives
- 5 Worst Nurse Midwife Paying States
- 6 Highest Nurse Midwife Employment Level by States
- 7 Job Outlook
- 8 How to Become a Nurse Midwife
- 9 Nurse Midwife Job Description
Average Nurse Midwife Salary by Percentiles
The average annual salary of a Nurse Midwife was $92k. At the 10th percentile, the average hourly wage was $30 versus $58 in the 90th percentile. This vast difference is mainly due to experience, so when you’re new, expect a salary towards to the lower to mid percentiles.
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $30.19 | $37.84 | $44.38 | $52.36 | $57.93 |
| Weekly Wage | $1,208 | $1,513 | $1,775 | $2,094 | $2,317 |
| Monthly Salary | $5,233 | $6,558 | $7,692 | $9,075 | $10,042 |
| Annual Salary | $62,800 | $78,700 | $92,300 | $108,900 | $120,500 |
Top Paying Industries for Nurse Midwives
The top three industries paid Nurse Midwives over $100k. These industries were local public hospitals, local general hospitals, and home health care services.
| Rank | Industries | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitals, Local government owned | $49.38 | $1,975 | $8,558 | $102,700 | 200 |
| 2 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Local government owned | $49.38 | $1,975 | $8,558 | $102,700 | 200 |
| 3 | Home Health Care Services | $48.75 | $1,950 | $8,450 | $101,400 | N/A |
| 4 | Local government, including schools and hospitals | $47.79 | $1,912 | $8,283 | $99,400 | 300 |
| 5 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals) | $46.97 | $1,879 | $8,142 | $97,700 | 2,000 |
| 6 | Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals) | $46.88 | $1,875 | $8,125 | $97,500 | 2,000 |
| 7 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Privately owned | $46.63 | $1,865 | $8,083 | $97,000 | 1,000 |
| 8 | Hospitals, Privately owned | $46.49 | $1,860 | $8,058 | $96,700 | 1,000 |
| 9 | Employment Services | $46.11 | $1,844 | $7,992 | $95,900 | 30 |
| 10 | Outpatient Care Centers | $45.43 | $1,817 | $7,875 | $94,500 | 500 |
Highest States for Nurse Midwives
The highest paying states were California ($58 an hour), New Hampshire ($54), and North Dakota ($52). Also, see the table of nurse midwife salary by state.
| Rank | Salaries by States | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $57.93 | $2,317 | $10,042 | $120,500 | 300 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $54.09 | $2,163 | $9,375 | $112,500 | 40 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $51.54 | $2,062 | $8,933 | $107,200 | 30 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $51.35 | $2,054 | $8,900 | $106,800 | 200 |
| 5 | Oregon | $50.72 | $2,029 | $8,792 | $105,500 | 100 |
| 6 | Arizona | $50.00 | $2,000 | $8,667 | $104,000 | 70 |
| 7 | Washington | $49.18 | $1,967 | $8,525 | $102,300 | 100 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $48.75 | $1,950 | $8,450 | $101,400 | 200 |
| 9 | Maryland | $48.41 | $1,937 | $8,392 | $100,700 | 100 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $48.27 | $1,931 | $8,367 | $100,400 | 200 |
Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas for Nurse Midwives
| Rank | Metropolitan Cities | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA | $62.21 | $2,488 | $10,783 | $129,400 | 70 |
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA | $58.94 | $2,358 | $10,217 | $122,600 | 60 |
| 3 | Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX | $56.15 | $2,246 | $9,733 | $116,800 | 60 |
| 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA | $53.65 | $2,146 | $9,300 | $111,600 | 200 |
| 5 | Camden, NJ | $49.66 | $1,987 | $8,608 | $103,300 | 40 |
| 6 | Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA | $48.94 | $1,958 | $8,483 | $101,800 | N/A |
| 7 | New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ | $48.32 | $1,933 | $8,375 | $100,500 | 300 |
| 8 | Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI | $47.02 | $1,881 | $8,150 | $97,800 | 70 |
| 9 | Newark-Union, NJ-PA | $46.39 | $1,856 | $8,042 | $96,500 | N/A |
| 10 | Nassau-Suffolk, NY | $44.47 | $1,779 | $7,708 | $92,500 | 50 |
Worst Nurse Midwife Paying States
Oklahoma had the lowest annual salary for a Nurse Midwife at $62k, which is in the 10th percentile. If location is not an issue, going to a state that pays more on average will significantly increase your chances of a higher salary.
| Rank | Salaries by States | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma | $29.81 | $1,192 | $5,167 | $62,000 | 30 |
| 2 | Delaware | $31.15 | $1,246 | $5,400 | $64,800 | 40 |
| 3 | Virginia | $31.25 | $1,250 | $5,417 | $65,000 | 200 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $38.32 | $1,533 | $6,642 | $79,700 | 100 |
| 5 | Utah | $39.04 | $1,562 | $6,767 | $81,200 | N/A |
| 6 | South Carolina | $39.42 | $1,577 | $6,833 | $82,000 | 40 |
| 7 | Indiana | $39.47 | $1,579 | $6,842 | $82,100 | 700 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $39.76 | $1,590 | $6,892 | $82,700 | 50 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $39.86 | $1,594 | $6,908 | $82,900 | 30 |
| 10 | Missouri | $39.90 | $1,596 | $6,917 | $83,000 | N/A |
Highest Nurse Midwife Employment Level by States
Indiana had the highest number of employed Nurse Midwives at around 700. New York came in second with 500, while Florida had roughly 300.
| Rank | States | Hourly Wage | Weekly Wage | Monthly Salary | Annual Salary | Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana | $39.47 | $1,579 | $6,842 | $82,100 | 700 |
| 2 | New York | $47.02 | $1,881 | $8,150 | $97,800 | 500 |
| 3 | Florida | $39.95 | $1,598 | $6,925 | $83,100 | 300 |
| 4 | California | $57.93 | $2,317 | $10,042 | $120,500 | 300 |
| 5 | Georgia | $42.84 | $1,713 | $7,425 | $89,100 | 300 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $48.27 | $1,931 | $8,367 | $100,400 | 200 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $51.35 | $2,054 | $8,900 | $106,800 | 200 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $41.11 | $1,644 | $7,125 | $85,500 | 200 |
| 9 | Colorado | $43.99 | $1,760 | $7,625 | $91,500 | 200 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $48.75 | $1,950 | $8,450 | $101,400 | 200 |
Job Outlook
With such a lucrative Nurse Midwife salary, more people are expected to enter this career. Fortunately, the job outlook is quite bright and is expected to grow 29% compared to 11% in all jobs. In fact, the nursing field as a whole is forecasted to grow over 30% over the next ten years.
| Employment Projections Data Nurse Midwife, 2012-2022 | |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2012 | 6,000 |
| Projected Employment, 2022 | 7,700 |
| Employment Difference: | 1,700 |
| Nurse Midwives | 29% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 34% |
| Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners | 31% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 25% |
| Total, all occupations | 11% |
Source: Bureau of Labor and Statistics
How to Become a Nurse Midwife
A nurse midwife is required to obtain certification in her field of work. A Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) is a graduate with adequate schooling from a midwifery institute or any other correlating institutions. The midwifery program is accredited through the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME).
These individuals are highly educated in the art of midwifery and often times have been educated through a University along with practical clinical training.
In addition to undergoing extensive training, nurse midwives have to take a national certification examination from the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB).
With such extensive training in their field of work, nurse midwives can be highly trusted and relied on to do their jobs exceptionally well in lieu of trial and error. That is one of the main reasons for the high nurse midwife salary.
Nurse Midwife Job Description
Nurse midwives play major roles and assume multiple tasks in the health establishment in which they work. These work environments include hospitals, health clinics, universities, military hospitals, private practices, birth services in the home and many more.
In fact, these midwives are often seen branching off or contributing to areas such as clinical practices, administration, health policy and even education. Their jobs customarily encapsulate the monitoring and providing of health care for women. Such job roles and functions include:
Caring primarily for women- Providing specialty care for women
- Assessing and interpreting the medical history of women under their care
- Orchestrating physical assessments of women
- Playing a part in new births by delivering babies
- Attending to women with pregnancy issues
- Attending to new born babies
- Guiding and providing care for women during puberty and throughout menopause.
- Authorizing pharmacologic treatment depending on the patient’s condition or state
- Providing counseling and education to encountered clients when needed
- Providing treatment, diagnostics, and management for women with critical and long-standing illnesses
- Nurse midwife provides postpartum care
- Provides care in relation to gynecology
- Treats sexually transmitted infections in women
These are just some of the many roles and job functions performed that warrants the high nurse midwife salary. They are highly knowledgeable and skilled in what they do. If you wish to branch out in this field and make a name for yourself, get educated and certified to maximize your skills and assist women in a wide variety of ways.