Nurse midwife salary averages revealed: How much money does a nurse midwife make per year or per hour?
Nurse midwives are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who specialize in providing care to pregnant women and their babies. Contrary to popular belief, modern midwifery extends far beyond the delivery of babies.
In fact, nurse midwives often perform the following services: gynecological exams, prenatal care, primary care services, wellness and reproductive care, health education for patients and their families, and much more.
Nurse Midwife Salary Average (Income)
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2017, nurse midwives earned an average salary of $103,640 per year in the United States, while the median salary was $100,590. The 2017 salary numbers represent a 10.71% increase since 2015, in which nurse midwives earned an average salary of $93,610.
Here are the salary figures from 2015 for all nursing salary types for comparison purposes:
Nurse Midwife Hourly Wage
The annual salary listed above is impressive, but how much do nurse midwives make per hour? According to the BLS.gov, they earned an average hourly wage of $49.83 in the U.S. in 2017, and a median hourly wage of $48.36.
Nurse Midwife Job Outlook
Is it worth it to become a nurse midwife? Aside for the salary figures listed above, the job outlook looks great for nurse midwives. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that nurse midwives will be the second fastest growing occupation among nursing types, second only to nurse practitioners. They are projecting a 21% growth rate for nurse midwives between years 2016-2026.
Here is the job outlook for all nursing types, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest projections:
- Nursing assistants projected growth: 11%
- Licensed practical nurse projected growth: 12%
- Registered nurse projected growth: 15%
- Nurse anesthetist projected growth: 16%
- Nurse midwife projected growth: 21%
- Nurse practitioner projected growth: 36%
- Clinical nurse specialist growth (included in registered nurse data, 15%)
Income Percentile Statistics for Nurse Midwives
To gauge how nurse midwife income compares across the United States, it can be helpful to look at income percentile statistics. Here’s a chart that illustrates percentile earnings:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
| Hourly Wage | $31.97 | $41.62 | $48.36 | $58.09 | $69.07 |
| Annual Wage | $66,500 | $86,570 | $100,590 | $120,830 | $143,650 |
According to the chart above, if you made $143,650 per year, you earned more income than 90% of the nurse midwives in the United States in 2017, and only 10% earned more than you did.
As we’ve indicated before, salary isn’t everything, and there are many factors that can influence income.
Nurse Midwife Salary Averages in U.S. States
The chart below will indicate the estimated employment numbers, average hourly wage, and average salary for nurse midwives in all applicable states in the U.S.
The highest paying state for nurse midwives (in 2017) was California, which paid an average salary of $132,480 and an average hourly wage of $63.69.
The lowest paying state for nurse midwives was Missouri, which paid an average salary of $69,450 and an average hourly wage of $33.39.
Below are the income figures from all reporting states in the U.S. in 2017. Please note: not all states license nurse midwives as a profession, so the data below only includes states that reported nurse midwife income figures to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| State | Employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Alaska | 70 | $40.19 | $83,580 |
| Arizona | n/a | $49.98 | $103,950 |
| California | 720 | $63.69 | $132,480 |
| Colorado | n/a | $46.66 | $97,040 |
| Connecticut | 70 | $50.25 | $104,520 |
| Delaware | 40 | $46.04 | $95,770 |
| District of Columbia | 40 | $44.99 | $93,570 |
| Florida | 330 | $45.69 | $95,040 |
| Georgia | 430 | $51.97 | $108,110 |
| Illinois | 230 | $41.33 | $85,970 |
| Indiana | 80 | $51.58 | $107,280 |
| Kansas | 30 | $47.62 | $99,060 |
| Kentucky | 120 | $46.52 | $96,760 |
| Maine | 30 | $45.87 | $95,410 |
| Maryland | 310 | $43.87 | $91,250 |
| Massachusetts | 290 | $57.55 | $119,700 |
| Michigan | 170 | $47.26 | $98,310 |
| Minnesota | 280 | $52.42 | $109,020 |
| Missouri | 130 | $33.39 | $69,450 |
| Nebraska | n/a | $33.77 | $70,230 |
| New Hampshire | 70 | $47.65 | $99,120 |
| New Jersey | 210 | $53.65 | $111,600 |
| New Mexico | 100 | $48.02 | $99,870 |
| New York | 510 | $49.82 | $103,630 |
| North Carolina | 170 | $50.52 | $105,090 |
| Ohio | 190 | $45.37 | $94,370 |
| Oregon | 160 | $52.35 | $108,880 |
| Pennsylvania | 300 | $46.70 | $97,130 |
| South Carolina | 40 | $42.45 | $88,290 |
| Tennessee | 70 | $40.04 | $83,280 |
| Texas | 170 | $44.62 | $92,800 |
| Utah | 90 | $52.29 | $108,770 |
| Vermont | 30 | $40.77 | $84,800 |
| Virginia | n/a | $50.53 | $105,090 |
| Washington | 90 | $48.20 | $100,250 |
| West Virginia | 30 | $60.70 | $126,260 |
| Wisconsin | 80 | $52.54 | $109,280 |
Top Nurse Midwife Industries
The BLS report indicates that the “Local Government” industry paid the most money to nurse midwives, with a reported salary average of $127,430 per year. However, the employment estimate was very low for this industry (50). In contrast, “Offices of Physicians” had the highest employment level (2,840), but the reported salary average for that industry was $103,270.
Here are the top paying industries:
| Industry | Employment | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals | 50 | n/a | $61.26 | $127,430 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 830 | 0.09 | $59.21 | $123,150 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 30 | n/a | $57.45 | $119,500 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 1,580 | 0.03 | $52.33 | $108,840 |
| Offices of Physicians | 2,840 | 0.11 | $49.65 | $103,270 |
Again, the industry with the highest employment level for nurse midwives was the “Offices of Physicians” industry, which reported an employment figure of 2,840. Here is a table of the industries that had the highest employment levels:
| Industry | Employment | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Offices of Physicians | 2,840 | 0.11 | $49.65 | $103,270 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 1,580 | 0.03 | $52.33 | $108,840 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 880 | 0.10 | $38.34 | $79,740 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 830 | 0.09 | $59.21 | $123,150 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 120 | 0.00 | $47.50 | $98,800 |
Here are all of the reported industries for nurse midwives, along with the average salary, hourly wage, and employment estimate. Note: the employment estimate does not include self-employed midwives.
| Occupation | Employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Cross-industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local Government | 6530 | $49.83 | $103,640 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership Only | 6150 | $49.43 | $102,820 |
| Sector 55 – Management of Companies and Enterprises | 30 | $57.45 | $119,500 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 30 | $57.45 | $119,500 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 30 | $57.45 | $119,500 |
| Sector 61 – Educational Services | 120 | $46.95 | $97,650 |
| Educational Services | 120 | $46.95 | $97,650 |
| Educational Services – State government owned | 40 | $44.64 | $92,840 |
| Educational Services – Privately owned | 80 | $49.20 | $102,330 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 120 | $47.50 | $98,800 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools – State government owned | 40 | $44.64 | $92,840 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools – Privately owned | 80 | $49.20 | $102,330 |
| Sector 62 – Health Care and Social Assistance | 6270 | $49.86 | $103,710 |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | 4620 | $49.10 | $102,120 |
| Offices of Physicians | 2840 | $49.65 | $103,270 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 880 | $38.34 | $79,740 |
| Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | 880 | $38.34 | $79,740 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 830 | $59.21 | $123,150 |
| Home Health Care Services | 30 | $37.97 | $78,970 |
| Hospitals | 1620 | $52.16 | $108,500 |
| Hospitals – State government owned | 40 | $46.38 | $96,470 |
| Hospitals – Local government owned | 230 | $59.98 | $124,760 |
| Hospitals – Privately owned | 1350 | $51.01 | $106,090 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 1580 | $52.33 | $108,840 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals – State government owned | 40 | $46.38 | $96,470 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals – Local government owned | 230 | $59.98 | $124,760 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals – Privately owned | 1300 | $51.17 | $106,430 |
| Specialty Hospitals | 40 | $46.25 | $96,190 |
| Specialty hospitals – Privately owned | 40 | $46.25 | $96,190 |
| Sector 99 – Federal, State, and Local Government | 60 | $58.32 | $121,300 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government | 60 | $58.32 | $121,300 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including government owned schools and hospitals | 380 | $56.16 | $116,810 |
| State Government, including schools and hospitals | 100 | $45.03 | $93,660 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals | 50 | $61.26 | $127,430 |
| Local Government, including schools and hospitals | 290 | $59.89 | $124,580 |
In conclusion, nurse midwife salaries continue to grow, and the job outlook looks great for this profession through the next decade, according to the statistics published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
References:
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2017 Edition, Nurse Midwives, on the Internet at bls.gov.