Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners

How to become a Nurse Midwive

Official title: Nurse Midwives

Also called: Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), Nurse Midwife, Staff Certified Nurse Midwife, Staff Nurse Midwife

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.

Main tasks

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.

How to become one

Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners must earn at least a master's degree in one of the APRN roles. They must also be licensed in their state and pass a national certification exam.

Typical education to start: Master's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Nursing & Midwifery degrees, Offered by 15 universities in the US
Licence: A licence is required in 48 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $134,040 a year The middle half earn $116,510 to $157,400.
About 8,200 people work in this job now, and about 9,100 are projected by 2035. (+11.5%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Nurse Midwive?

How much does a Nurse Midwive earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $134,040 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $116,510 to $157,400.

Is a Nurse Midwive a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 12% by 2035, from about 8,200 to about 9,100 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Nurse Midwive?

Usually. 98% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Nurse Midwive?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.