How much do midwives make? What’s the average salary of a midwife? The demand for qualified medical workers in healthcare continues to rise, and it pays well. Registered nurses are seeking further education and training to become certified nurse-midwives as the population grows and there is a growing interest in more holistic approaches to medical treatment. For individuals who are interested in caring for mothers and newborns, this field is quickly evolving.
What is a midwife?
A midwife is a trained professional who specializes in caring for pregnant women and their babies from conception through delivery. Midwives are educated and trained in the same way that nurses are, and midwifery is considered a part of nursing. A certified nurse-midwife has a master’s degree in nursing and the American Midwifery Certification Board’s necessary CNM accreditation. These highly trained individuals work in medical environments such as hospitals and clinics, as well as in patients’ homes and birthing facilities.
Midwives offer hands-on care as well as consultations as needed throughout labor and delivery. Non-surgical techniques can help with anomalies in the birthing process or high-risk births, such as breech births. If difficulties occur that go outside the area of the midwife’s practice, they will send you to a trained physician.
The midwife’s responsibilities include working with pregnant families to give support during pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period, as well as assisting with baby care and other responsibilities, such as:
- Detecting pregnancy and labor problems in the mother and/or child.
- Providing or referring medical care or other forms of help.
- Taking necessary emergency steps.
- To prepare for parenthood, provide prenatal education.
- Provide health advice to both the mother and the child.
Required skills
While education and licensure are critical, midwives require more than just information. Several personality qualities and intrinsic talents are required to be a midwife, as listed below:
Confidence
Midwives are entrusted with a great deal of responsibility and operate largely autonomously, therefore they must have faith in their own skills to deal with a variety of scenarios. Because the midwife is usually the only medical professional present during a home delivery, it is their responsibility to conduct emergency resuscitation or contact emergency services if necessary. If you trust your own talents as a midwife, your patients will feel more comfortable entrusting you with such a significant life event.
Discretion
Patients of various origins, religious views, and economic circumstances are treated by midwives. It’s critical to stay professional and reserve judgment in order to properly manage circumstances, because the most essential thing is the mother’s and baby’s health.
Empathy
Objectivity must be combined with a high level of empathy for patients and their families in order to maintain objectivity. It’s vital to know when to be overly sympathetic and when it’s more acceptable to be factual and direct while being compassionate, depending on the scenario. Whatever the circumstance requires, it’s critical not to let your sentiments or approach stand in the way of giving good treatment.
Sincerity
Patients must be educated on self-care, infant care, breastfeeding, birthing choices, and other topics by a midwife. A really committed midwife is committed to delivering the most comprehensive education in the best interests of the family. Most of the time, this entails converting medical jargon into language that the patient can understand. It’s also crucial to be present to address any worries the patient can have and to calm both the patient and the family’s anxiety.
Patience
There will be times when you’ll need to repeat yourself to ensure the patient understands what you’re trying to say, when you’ll be answering a lot of questions from patients and families, and when you’ll need to switch to plan B if the circumstances of the delivery make sticking to the birth plan impossible. In severe situations, flexibility and patience might be the difference between life and death. If you want to be a midwife, you should know about this before you start.
Interpersonal skills
Having a child is something that happens to everyone at some point in their lives. Because they are your patients, you must be willing to offer unbiased, professional care to each one, regardless of your personal sentiments, and you must be able to communicate in a manner that is understandable to them. The families a midwife cares for rely on the informed, professional assistance they require to go through this life event as smoothly as possible.
Observational skills
It’s critical to be able to recognize the overall situation’s circumstances as well as pinpoint the smaller specifics, as even the tiniest information can completely alter the situation’s result.
Multitasking skills
You’ll be doing multiple things at once throughout labor. Keep in mind that you are the sole medical practitioner on the premises. You’ll be tracking contractions, keeping an eye on the baby’s vitals, and explaining everything to the mom and partner while taking her through the paperwork. It’s crucial to be able to concentrate on performing all of these tasks properly, whether alone or in tandem.
Critical-thinking skills
A midwife must be able to recognize the specifics of a scenario and respond appropriately on the moment. While some situations call for a straightforward plan of action, others can need more creative thinking based on a combination of knowledge, experience, and an open-minded assessment of the issue. In many instances, you’ll discover that you have no option but to make a decision based on your best judgment.
A general calm demeanor
In difficult situations, your patient is depending on you to stay cool and confident. When you take quick action while staying level-headed and objective, you’ll have a far greater chance of making a life-saving choice, and your composure will help the mother feel in charge of the situation so she can give birth with as few difficulties as possible.
Supportive attitude
Because the midwife is the main point of contact for pregnant parents, choosing a midwife is a crucial decision. You must be really engaged in giving the greatest assistance to them, whether that means sharing your expertise with them, recognizing their particular requirements, or providing emotional support.
Active-listening skills
Actively listening to your patients and their family assists you in gaining a better knowledge of their needs and establishing trust and relationship with them.
How much do midwives make?
Certified nurse-midwives’ salaries vary widely based on the state, degree of experience, cost of living, and other variables. The majority of CNMs work as salaried employees of hospitals, birthing centers, or clinics, while some earn on a per-birth basis.
The average wage in the United States is $101,445 per year.
- 10th percentile: $65,940 per year.
- 25th percentile: $82,580 per year.
- 50th percentile (median): $96,970 per year.
- 75th percentile: $114,090 per year.
- 90th percentile: $129,140 per year.
Pro tip: The master’s in nurse midwifery, which was established in 1977, is a four-semester program that can be completed full-time or part-time. This master’s degree can substantially increase earnings.
Certified nurse midwife salary by state
Average annual salary of a nurse midwife based on state:
- Alaska: $66,580 per year.
- Alabama: $36,510 per year.
- Arkansas: $42,590 per year.
- Arizona: $38,960 per year.
- California: $63,000 per year.
- Colorado: $47,400 per year.
- Connecticut: $88,400 per year.
- District of Columbia: $81,550 per year.
- Delaware: $56,620 per year.
- Florida: $46,920 per year.
- Georgia: $59,780 per year.
- Hawaii: $65,400 per year.
- Iowa: $37,460 per year.
- Idaho: $64,250 per year.
- Illinois: $64,390 per year.
- Indiana: $33,310 per year.
- Kansas: $38,710 per year.
- Kentucky: $47,850 per year.
- Louisiana: $48,730 per year.
- Massachusetts: $62,590 per year.
- Maryland: $93,040 per year.
- Maine: $49,350 per year.
- Michigan: $42,950 per year.
- Minnesota: $54,660 per year.
- Missouri: $53,900 per year.
- Mississippi: $30,680 per year.
- Montana: $54,730 per year.
- North Carolina: $49,290 per year.
- North Dakota: $43,180 per year.
- Nebraska: $32,400 per year.
- New Hampshire: $64,760 per year.
- New Jersey: $89,810 per year.
- New Mexico: $48,790 per year.
- Nevada: $50,590 per year.
- New York: $72,180 per year.
- Ohio: $63,260 per year.
- Oklahoma: $32,790 per year.
- Oregon: $45,260 per year.
- Pennsylvania: $84,460 per year.
- Puerto Rico: $77,260 per year.
- Rhode Island: $68,130 per year.
- South Carolina: $38,580 per year.
- Tennessee: $51,990 per year.
- Texas: $50,650 per year.
- Utah: $38,690 per year.
- Virginia: $46,760 per year.
- Vermont: $38,900 per year.
- Washington: $61,850 per year.
- Wisconsin: $50,920 per year.
- West Virginia: $56,240 per year.
- Wyoming: $57,450 per year.
Average salaries and salary data provided by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (source).
What affects midwife salaries
In most locations, a nurse-midwife can make a very good income. Their abilities, experience, and education, as well as the fact that they do many of the same jobs as medical physicians and are in high demand nearly everywhere, all contribute to their high compensation. The following are some of the elements that might influence a CNM’s salary:
Education and experience
If registered nurses desire to work as a licensed nurse-midwife, they can pursue a Master’s or Doctor of Nursing degree. Certifications, training, and experience can all help you earn more money. Nurse-midwives with greater experience will almost definitely earn far more than those who are just starting out.
A certified nurse-midwife has a master’s degree in nursing and the American Midwifery Certification Board CNM accreditation. Learn more about The American Midwifery certification here.
The type of employer
The sort of institution you work in has a big impact on your pay. Nurse midwives work for a variety of businesses, including:
- Centers for childbirth.
- Offices of doctors.
- Outpatient clinics and outpatient care centers.
- Hospitals.
- Surgical hospitals.
- Postpartum care centers.
The amount of money a CNM can make depends a lot on whether the institution is for-profit, private practice, charity, or government-run. For example, non-profit organizations are likely to pay significantly greater salaries than government-run ones. Because each type of institution has its own compensation structure and payment capabilities, CNM wages might vary significantly depending on where they work.
Pro tip: If they hold a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree rather than a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), they can be able to earn more money.
Geography
How much you can make as a CNM is heavily influenced by where you live and work. Places having a higher demand for midwives, for example, are likely to pay more than areas where they are in short supply. More populous locations, as well as areas with a greater cost of living, are known to charge more than small towns or rural areas. CNMs are in more demand in areas where more individuals are receiving reproductive treatments, as these deliveries typically come with a slew of problems. Women who are covered by government-paid health insurance are more than three times more likely to utilize a midwife than those who pay with private insurance in areas where there are a large number of women.
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