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The national median salary for Nurse Midwives is $134,035 per year ($64.44/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $116,501 and $157,394 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $188,323 per year. There are approximately 7,920 nurse midwives employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+11.1%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
500
per year, on avg
Workforce today
9K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
18% from new growth82% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Master's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
3K
$130,870
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
2K
$140,990
Outpatient Care Centers
NAICS 621400
2K
$157,440
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
760
$94,180
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
110
$134,870
Wage range across top 5 industries: $94,180 to $157,440 (67% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$45.01
$93,621
P25
$56.01
$116,501
P50MEDIAN
$64.44
$134,035
P75
$75.67
$157,394
P90
$90.54
$188,323
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.4%
Quits Rate
1.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings rebounded to 1.36M (+87K) in March with rate at 5.4%. Hires rose to 700K (+75K). The sector remains structurally tight; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average nurse midwives salary?
The national median salary for Nurse Midwives is $134,035 per year ($64.44/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $116,501 and $157,394 annually.
How much do top-earning nurse midwives make?
The 90th percentile salary for Nurse Midwives is $188,323 per year ($90.54/hr). The 75th percentile is $157,394 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for nurse midwives?
Entry-level Nurse Midwives (10th percentile) earn approximately $93,621 per year ($45.01/hr). The 25th percentile is $116,501 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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