Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$93,620
- 25th Percentile — Junior$116,510
- 50th Percentile — Median$134,040
- 75th Percentile — Senior$157,400
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$188,320
The top 10% of Nurse Midwives earn $188,320 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $93,620, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| California | $194,730 | +42.2% |
| Hawaii | $165,360 | +20.7% |
| Massachusetts | $162,420 | +18.6% |
| Arizona | $159,910 | +16.7% |
| New Jersey | $159,170 | +16.2% |
| Vermont | $148,100 | +8.1% |
| Oregon | $146,010 | +6.6% |
| Alaska | $144,130 | +5.2% |
| New York | $143,360 | +4.7% |
| Maryland | $141,880 | +3.6% |
| Washington | $140,860 | +2.8% |
| Nevada (est.) | $139,720 | +2.0% |
| Virginia | $139,620 | +1.9% |
| Colorado | $138,520 | +1.1% |
| Nebraska | $137,300 | +0.2% |
| New Hampshire | $136,610 | -0.3% |
| Rhode Island | $135,610 | -1.0% |
| Minnesota | $135,380 | -1.2% |
| Connecticut | $131,680 | -3.9% |
| Missouri | $131,470 | -4.0% |
| Maine | $131,090 | -4.3% |
| Delaware | $130,610 | -4.7% |
| Montana (est.) | $130,131 | -5.0% |
| Utah | $128,650 | -6.1% |
| Idaho (est.) | $127,391 | -7.0% |
| Wyoming (est.) | $127,391 | -7.0% |
| Wisconsin | $127,300 | -7.1% |
| Michigan | $125,240 | -8.6% |
| Ohio | $125,210 | -8.6% |
| North Carolina | $123,920 | -9.5% |
| Iowa | $123,000 | -10.2% |
| Texas | $122,910 | -10.3% |
| New Mexico | $122,130 | -10.8% |
| South Carolina | $120,550 | -12.0% |
| District of Columbia | $119,310 | -12.9% |
| Alabama (est.) | $119,173 | -13.0% |
| South Dakota (est.) | $119,173 | -13.0% |
| Georgia | $119,120 | -13.0% |
| Louisiana | $116,840 | -14.7% |
| Kansas (est.) | $116,433 | -15.0% |
| Pennsylvania | $116,390 | -15.0% |
| Tennessee | $115,780 | -15.5% |
| Oklahoma (est.) | $115,063 | -16.0% |
| Indiana | $114,640 | -16.3% |
| Illinois | $113,800 | -16.9% |
| Arkansas (est.) | $113,693 | -17.0% |
| Kentucky (est.) | $113,693 | -17.0% |
| Florida | $111,870 | -18.3% |
| Mississippi (est.) | $109,584 | -20.0% |
| West Virginia (est.) | $106,844 | -22.0% |
| North Dakota | $99,740 | -27.2% |
What Factors Affect Nurse Midwives Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Nurse Midwives is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: California pays an average of $194,730, while North Dakota pays $99,740 — a gap of $94,990 per year.
The middle half of Nurse Midwives earn between $116,510 and $157,400 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $93,620, while the top 10% earn more than $188,320.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States 26.0% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +0.2% vs this role
- Pharmacists $140,920/yr United States +2.9% vs this role
- Physical Therapists $105,280/yr United States 23.1% vs this role
- Speech-Language Pathologists $98,170/yr United States 28.3% vs this role
- Occupational Therapists $101,280/yr United States 26.1% vs this role
- Software Developers $148,100/yr United States +8.1% vs this role
- Information Security Analysts $132,510/yr United States 3.3% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Nurse Midwives?
The average salary for Nurse Midwives in the United States is $136,980 per year, with a median of $134,040.
What is the starting salary for Nurse Midwives?
Entry-level Nurse Midwives typically earn between $93,620 and $116,510 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Nurse Midwives the most?
California pays Nurse Midwives the most at $194,730 per year on average, followed by Hawaii ($165,360) and Massachusetts ($162,420).
How much do Nurse Midwives make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $136,980, Nurse Midwives earn approximately $65.86 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Nurse Midwives a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 7,920 Nurse Midwives jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $136,980 and a median of $134,040 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
Related Salary Pages
Explore more salary data