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Healthcare

Nurse Midwives

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$134,040

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$94k – $188k

Job outlook

+11% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $93,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Nurse Midwives

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Education

Typical entry: Master's degree

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$64,200–$231,000

Time to qualify

6.2 yr

Renewal

$75/yr

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Master's degree

    Degree

    Typically two years; average graduate tuition ≈ $20,000/yr at public universities (NCES).

    $24,000–$80,000 · 2 years source

  3. 3

    National & state licensure

    License

    A national board/registry exam plus a state license application (the NCLEX pattern). Exact exam and fees depend on the role and state.

    $200–$1,000 · 2 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Nurse Midwives" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Nurse Midwives

    Entry / Junior

    $93,620

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Nurse Midwives

    Established

    $134,040

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Nurse Midwives

    Senior

    $161,180

Key skills

A typical 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.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.