Average Nurse Midwives Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Nurse Midwives is $134,040 per year. The middle 50% earn between $116,510 and $157,400, with 7,920 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 39 states and 43 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Nurse Midwives pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $93,620
- 25th
- $116,510
- Median
- $134,040
- 75th
- $157,400
- 90th
- $188,320
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Nurse Midwives are among the highest-paid occupations tracked by BLS, well into the top decile of US wages.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for nurse midwives from 2024 to 2034. Nurse Midwives are projected to grow much faster than average, more than double the roughly 4% growth rate for all US occupations. Demand is strong and outpacing most of the labor market.
- Projected growth
- +11.1%
- 900 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 500
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave.
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
A master's degree is the typical entry point, which tends to limit supply and support higher pay.
Where Nurse Midwives earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where nurse midwives work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is California at $203,840, about 52.1% above the national median. At the metro level, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA leads with a median of $218,760.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $203,840 | 870 |
| Hawaii | $170,110 | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $159,800 | 280 |
| Washington | $158,970 | 170 |
| New Jersey | $153,970 | 120 |
| Vermont | $151,030 | 60 |
| Oregon | $146,900 | 240 |
| New York | $144,510 | 360 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $218,760 | 40 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $212,630 | 190 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $202,850 | 220 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $191,220 | 80 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $184,620 | N/A |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $181,450 | 60 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $174,870 | 200 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $162,970 | 70 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see nurse midwives pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Nurse Midwives rose from $105,030 to $134,040, a gain of +27.6% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $105,030 would need to be worth $132,262 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $134,040 is $1,778 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +1.3% in purchasing power.
Wages have roughly kept pace with inflation. Nominal pay rose by 27.6%, but inflation absorbed most of it.
- Nominal change
- +27.6%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +1.3%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Nurse Midwives median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $134,040
- 2024
- $128,790
- 2023
- $129,650
- 2022
- $120,880
- 2021
- $112,830
- 2020
- $111,130
- 2019
- $105,030
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Nurse Practitioners
- $132,300
- Veterinarians
- $130,100
- Radiation Therapists
- $105,310
- Physical Therapists
- $102,760
- Occupational Therapists
- $100,330
- Speech-Language Pathologists
- $97,870
- Registered Nurses
- $97,550
- Audiologists
- $95,780
Common salary questions for Nurse Midwives
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Nurse Midwives workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.