Healthcare Practitioners
Nurse Midwives
Also called: Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), Nurse Midwife, Staff Certified Nurse Midwife, Staff Nurse Midwife
US median pay
$134,040
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+11.5%
faster than average
Openings a year (US)
400
8,200 employed
Typical entry education
Master's degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- Provide prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, or newborn care to patients.
- Monitor fetal development by listening to fetal heartbeat, taking external uterine measurements, identifying fetal position, or estimating fetal size and weight.
- Document patients' health histories, symptoms, physical conditions, or other diagnostic information.
- Provide patients with direct family planning services, such as inserting intrauterine devices, dispensing oral contraceptives, and fitting cervical barriers, including cervical caps or diaphragms.
- Prescribe medications as permitted by state regulations.
- Develop and implement individualized plans for health care management.
- Explain procedures to patients, family members, staff members or others.
- Order and interpret diagnostic or laboratory tests.
- Initiate emergency interventions to stabilize patients.
- Document findings of physical examinations.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Social Perceptiveness4.1/5
- Service Orientation3.9/5
- Coordination3.9/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8/5
- Instructing3.2/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Systems Analysis3.1/5
Knowledge
- Medicine and Dentistry4.8/5
- Psychology4.3/5
- Customer and Personal Service4.2/5
- English Language4.2/5
- Biology4.1/5
- Sociology and Anthropology3.8/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Master's degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Master's degree81%
- Post-master's certificate16%
Who this job suits
Mostly Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.