Certified Nurse Midwife salary
A certified nurse midwife earns about $134,040 a year — roughly $64.44/hour, with most earning between $116,510 and $157,400. This is a verified national figure from official public wage data.
Certified Nurse Midwife — U.S. national
Verified public wage dataMedian annual pay
$134,040
Hourly
$64.44/hr
- Typical range
- $116,510–$157,400
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $188,320
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $93,620
- Newer nurses
What affects this pay
- State and metro labor market
- Hospital vs birth-center setting
- Call coverage
- Experience and patient volume
About Certified Nurse Midwifes
What they do
Certified Nurse Midwives provide prenatal care, attend births, and deliver gynecologic and primary care for women across the lifespan, in hospitals, birth centers, and homes.
How to become a Certified Nurse Midwife
CNMs are RNs who earn a graduate degree in midwifery (MSN or DNP) accredited by ACME and pass the AMCB national certification exam, giving them advanced-practice and prescriptive authority.
What drives the pay
Nurse midwives are tracked directly in public wage data. Pay reflects advanced-practice credentials and unpredictable on-call delivery schedules; hospital roles typically pay more than freestanding birth centers.
Certified Nurse Midwife pay by state
Estimated certified nurse midwife pay where this role tends to earn the most. Open a state for the full local picture.
| State | Est. annual pay | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| California | $203,840 | +52% vs national |
| Hawaii | $170,110 | +27% vs national |
| Massachusetts | $159,800 | +19% vs national |
| Washington | $158,970 | +19% vs national |
| New Jersey | $153,970 | +15% vs national |
| Vermont | $151,030 | +13% vs national |
| Oregon | $146,900 | +10% vs national |
| Nevada | $144,760 | +8% vs national |
Certified Nurse Midwife salary by state
Open any state for certified nurse midwife pay, local metros, and how it compares to the U.S. average.
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Certified Nurse Midwife salary FAQ
- How much do Certified Nurse Midwifes make?
- A Certified Nurse Midwife earns about $134,040 a year — roughly $64.44 an hour — based on verified public wage data. Most earn between $116,510 and $157,400, and the top 10% earn roughly $188,320 or more.
- What is the hourly pay for Certified Nurse Midwifes?
- Most Certified Nurse Midwifes are paid an hourly wage. The national figure works out to about $64.44 an hour at a full-time schedule, with a typical range of $56.01 to $75.67. Nights, weekends, and overtime differentials push the real hourly rate higher.
- Which state pays Certified Nurse Midwifes the most?
- California is among the highest-paying states for Certified Nurse Midwifes, at roughly $203,840 a year, followed by other West Coast and Northeast states. State figures are estimates based on national pay and local cost of living.
- How does Certified Nurse Midwife pay compare to a registered nurse?
- Certified Nurse Midwifes earn more than staff RNs — about $134,040 a year vs $97,550 for registered nurses — reflecting additional education, certification, and a broader scope of practice.
- Why are some figures verified and others estimates?
- National pay for the main nursing roles — registered nurses, LPNs/LVNs, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, nurse midwives, and nursing assistants — comes from verified public wage data. State, city, and specialty figures that aren't reported on their own start from that national pay and are labeled "Estimated" or "Specialty estimate." We never show an estimate as a verified figure.
Source & confidence— A verified figure from official U.S. public wage data.
BLS OEWS (May 2025, national)
National wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2025 national data.
Source year 2025. Last reviewed July 17, 2026. Full methodology