Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Master's degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Nurse midwives work in a specialized healthcare role that combines advanced clinical expertise with strong interpersonal and communication abilities. This career offers a national median annual salary of $128,790 and national employment of 9,000, indicating a relatively focused but established profession. The projected employment growth of 11.1% suggests expanding opportunities over time. States such as California, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Washington show particularly strong CareerGPS opportunity scores, as do metro areas like New York-Newark-Jersey City and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont. Succeeding in this field calls for adaptability, detail orientation, and strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, along with speaking, listening, and writing strengths. A typical entry path requires a master’s degree, signaling a significant educational commitment but also a clear professional track. For those interested in advanced nursing roles, related options include nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, as well as physician specialties such as obstetricians and gynecologists and dermatologists.
Nurse midwives earn a national median annual salary of $128,790, reflecting the advanced nature of this role. Pay varies meaningfully by location. Among states, California stands out with a median salary of $203,840, while Massachusetts, Washington, and New York also show higher median salaries of $159,800, $158,970, and $144,510 respectively. Colorado’s median salary of $137,610 is also above the national median. At the metro level, some areas offer even higher earning potential: San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA reports a median salary of $212,630, and Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA reports $202,850. New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ shows $159,730, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH shows $174,870. These figures indicate that nurse midwives who are geographically flexible may find significantly different salary levels across regions, particularly in select California and Northeastern metros.
Nurse midwives have national employment of 9,000 and a projected employment growth rate of 11.1%. This growth projection is consistent across the highlighted states and metro areas, all of which list 11.1% growth. While the data show 0 annual openings, the positive projected growth rate indicates that total employment in the occupation is expected to increase over time. The combination of current employment, a clearly defined growth percentage, and an advanced educational requirement suggests this role occupies a specific and specialized niche within healthcare. Opportunity scores for leading states and metro areas further underline that this growth is distributed across multiple regions, rather than being confined to a single part of the country. For individuals considering long-term career planning, the presence of an explicit growth projection provides a measurable indicator of future demand, even though annual openings are not quantified in this dataset.
Location plays a significant role in the career profile of nurse midwives. Among states, California offers a median salary of $203,840 with employment of 870 and an opportunity score of 67.38, the highest among the listed states. Massachusetts and New York follow with opportunity scores of 65.87 and 65.78, and median salaries of $159,800 and $144,510. Colorado and Washington also show notable opportunity scores (56.97 and 56.29) and median salaries of $137,610 and $158,970. At the metro level, New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ stands out with the highest opportunity score of 77.27, median salary of $159,730, and employment of 240. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA combines a very high median salary of $212,630 with an opportunity score of 68.75. Other strong metros include Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV; Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH; and Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA. These figures highlight meaningful differences in both pay and overall opportunity by region.
Nurse midwives typically need a master’s degree, indicating that this is an advanced professional role requiring graduate-level preparation. The skills profile associated with this occupation is broad and emphasizes both technical and interpersonal strengths. Key skills include science, critical and analytical thinking, and problem solving and decision making, all of which align with the demands of complex clinical judgment. At the same time, strong speaking and listening, interpersonal abilities, and customer service skills highlight the importance of effective communication with patients and colleagues. Detail orientation and adaptability support accuracy and flexibility in changing situations, while writing and reading skills are important for documentation and understanding clinical information. Leadership is also highlighted, suggesting that nurse midwives may often take initiative and guide aspects of care. Individuals who pursue the required master’s degree and cultivate this blend of analytical, communication, and leadership skills will be better positioned to succeed in this career.
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