Midwives: Career Overview
Provide prenatal care and childbirth assistance.
Featured schools near , edit
The Daily Work of Midwives Do?
Typical responsibilities of midwives span:
- Monitor maternal condition during labor by checking vital signs, monitoring uterine contractions, or performing physical examinations.
- Identify tubal and ectopic pregnancies and refer patients for treatments.
- Provide necessary medical care for infants at birth, including emergency care such as resuscitation.
- Conduct ongoing prenatal health assessments, tracking changes in physical and emotional health.
- Monitor fetal growth and well-being through heartbeat detection, body measurement, and palpation.
- Establish and follow emergency or contingency plans for mothers and newborns.
- Identify, monitor, or treat pregnancy-related problems such as hypertension, gestational diabetes, pre-term labor, or retarded fetal growth.
- Obtain complete health and medical histories from patients including medical, surgical, reproductive, or mental health histories.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top midwives rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Midwives Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- APC (Advanced Practice Clinician)
- APP (Advanced Practice Provider)
- Birth Center Midwife
- Birth Doula
- Certified Direct-Entry Midwife
- Certified Midwife
- Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)
- Direct-Entry Midwife
How Many Midwives Are There?
There are about 3,219,221 midwives working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +7.7% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Midwives
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $109,643 |
| Hourly median | $52.71 |
| 10th percentile | $79,618 |
| 25th percentile | $94,630 |
| 75th percentile | $124,655 |
| 90th percentile | $139,668 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Midwives Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $107,490 |
| Puerto Rico | $107,240 |
| Indiana | $87,870 |
| New York | $84,050 |
| Wisconsin | $78,790 |
| Kentucky | $78,610 |
| Minnesota | $78,300 |
| New Hampshire | $77,310 |
| Michigan | $76,530 |
| Virginia | $76,450 |
| California | $75,070 |
| Maryland | $74,010 |
| Oregon | $73,850 |
| New Jersey | $73,640 |
| Maine | $72,200 |
| Alaska | $72,030 |
| New Mexico | $71,920 |
| Washington | $69,440 |
| North Carolina | $68,880 |
| Missouri | $67,440 |
| Massachusetts | $67,000 |
| Louisiana | $66,190 |
| Arizona | $65,830 |
| Vermont | $65,450 |
| Oklahoma | $63,960 |
| Georgia | $63,900 |
| South Carolina | $63,890 |
| Montana | $62,920 |
| Ohio | $62,530 |
| Utah | $62,110 |
| Idaho | $60,370 |
| Colorado | $60,360 |
| Wyoming | $58,110 |
| Florida | $57,190 |
| Illinois | $57,020 |
| Tennessee | $54,990 |
| Hawaii | $53,520 |
| West Virginia | $51,440 |
| Nebraska | $51,350 |
| Nevada | $51,170 |
| Alabama | $51,060 |
| North Dakota | $50,760 |
| Texas | $50,290 |
| Connecticut | $49,200 |
| Rhode Island | $48,650 |
| Delaware | $47,570 |
| Pennsylvania | $43,840 |
| Kansas | $42,760 |
| Arkansas | $39,390 |
| Iowa | $36,670 |
| Mississippi | $36,480 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for midwives differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other U.S. Territories | $107,240 | 0.1% | 0.24 |
| Great Lakes | $73,180 | 9.4% | 0.75 |
| Far Western US | $68,403 | 19.2% | 1.72 |
| Middle Atlantic | $65,415 | 21.1% | 2.25 |
| Southeast | $61,456 | 32.0% | 3.61 |
| Plains States | $61,027 | 4.9% | 0.77 |
| Rocky Mountains | $60,898 | 1.9% | 0.53 |
| New England | $59,346 | 5.1% | 1.85 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $118,470 | 280 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | PR | $107,240 | 40 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | MI | $99,360 | 90 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $97,850 | 1,310 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | KY | $95,640 | 60 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | NE | $91,830 | 90 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $90,210 | 510 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | WA | $86,960 | 30 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of midwives work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 22,440 | $59,740 |
| Educational Services | 4,020 | $64,910 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1,180 | n/a |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 870 | $62,750 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 840 | $80,520 |
| Finance and Insurance | 750 | $77,450 |
| Wholesale Trade | 710 | $130,410 |
| Retail Trade | 430 | $41,640 |
Below are examples of industries where midwives work:
Tools and Technology
- Medical software: Epic Systems (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for midwives reflects the following characteristics:
- Physical Proximity
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Education and Training
Typical midwives positions require some college, no degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Physician Assistants (Supplemental)
- Registered Nurses (Primary-Short)
- Acute Care Nurses (Primary-Long)
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses (Supplemental)
- Critical Care Nurses (Primary-Long)
- Clinical Nurse Specialists (Supplemental)
- Nurse Anesthetists (Supplemental)
- Nurse Midwives (Primary-Short)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for midwives commonly pursue programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
4 programs across 4 majors
- Health/Medical Admin Services
- Bioethics/Medical Ethics
- Alternative Medicine & Systems
- Energy & Bio-Based Therapies
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-9099.01 (Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other).
HealthcareDegreeSearch.com provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© HealthcareDegreeSearch.com – All Rights Reserved.