Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) salary, United States
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The median annual wage for Nurse Midwives (the closest BLS occupation to Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)) in the United States was $134,040 in BLS OEWS May 2025, and the middle half of workers earned between $116,510 and $157,400.
What does the published band tell you about a CNM offer?
The published annual P25 to P75 band for CNM in the United States is
How does CNM pay in the United States compare with the nation?
BLS reports
What does Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV add to this CNM comparison?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV reports
What does Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI add to this CNM comparison?
Minneapolis-Saint Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI reports
Which published industries help you read CNM pay?
For CNM, Outpatient Care Centers, NAICS 621400, reports a national median of
What changed between releases for CNM in the United States?
CNM in the United States had a annual median of
What belongs beside base pay in your CNM offer?
CNM wages in the United States include base rates and guaranteed or production pay under the BLS definition. For CNM, production incentives already counted in OEWS should not be added again. For this CNM brief, overtime, shift differentials and on-call pay sit outside the OEWS wage. A non-production sign-on payment for CNM is also outside that the United States figure. We discuss those CNM terms without inventing an amount to add.
What else should you ask about this pay table?
CNM maps to SOC 29-1161, Nurse Midwives. The the United States annual median is
Does the United States publish a separate wage for CNM?
CNM maps to SOC 29-1161, Nurse Midwives. The the United States annual median is
Where should you place a CNM offer inside the the United States band?
The published annual P25 to P75 band for CNM in the United States is
Can the CNM figure in the United States stand in for the whole package?
CNM pay in this the United States table is not total compensation. For CNM in the United States, shift differential, on-call pay and non-production sign-on payments are excluded by the OEWS definition. For CNM in the United States, write those terms separately before comparing offers.
Which markets can you compare with the United States for CNM?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and Minneapolis-Saint Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI have published rows for Nurse Midwives. For CNM in the United States, they are employment-based comparison markets, not a claim about nearest locations. Each linked CNM table names its own area and SOC.
Is the CNM change in the United States a forecast?
CNM in the United States had a annual median of
The CNM national comparison markets use published employment, not geographic proximity. Read the geography and wage definitions.
BLS occupation: Nurse Midwives.
BLS reports Nurse Midwives as one occupation. It does not publish a separate estimate for Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), its setting or its engagement terms.
What does this occupation pay nationally?
BLS publishes five national pay points for Nurse Midwives, SOC 29-1161, in BLS OEWS May 2025: the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentiles. The range bar and table below show each published point. Percentiles describe the spread of pay across workers, not experience levels. Read the median as a midpoint, not an offer for your vacancy.
- P10 to P90 published range
- P25 to P75 middle range
- P50 median
| Point | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $93,620 |
| 25th percentile | $116,510 |
| Median | $134,040 |
| 75th percentile | $157,400 |
| 90th percentile | $188,320 |
| Mean (average) | $136,980 |
For Nurse Midwives in the United States, BLS reports a median of $134,040; the middle half of workers earned between $116,510 and $157,400 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- P10 to P90 published range
- P25 to P75 middle range
- P50 median
| Point | Hourly wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45.01 |
| 25th percentile | $56.01 |
| Median | $64.44 |
| 75th percentile | $75.67 |
| 90th percentile | $90.54 |
| Mean (average) | $65.86 |
For Nurse Midwives in the United States, BLS reports a median of $64.44; the middle half of workers earned between $56.01 and $75.67 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
What BLS wages include and exclude
Included
- Base rates
- Commissions
- Cost-of-living allowances
- Deadheading pay
- Guaranteed pay
- Hazard pay
- Incentive pay
- Longevity pay
- Over-the-road pay (Mileage)
- Piece rates
- Portal-to-portal rates
- Production bonuses
- Tips
Excluded
- Attendance bonuses
- Back pay
- Clothing allowances
- Discount
- Draw
- Holiday bonus
- Holiday premium pay
- Jury duty pay
- Meal and lodging payments
- Merchandise discounts
- Non-production bonuses
- On-call pay
- Overtime pay
- Perquisites
- Profit-sharing payments
- Relocation allowances
- Severance pay
- Shift differentials
- Stock bonuses
- Tool/equipment allowances
- Tuition repayment
- Uniform allowance
- Weekend premium pay
- Year-end bonuses
Employment: 7,920 jobs nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, BLS OEWS May 2025. SOC 29-1161 Nurse Midwives, United States. BLS page for this occupation. CSV
How has published pay changed since the last BLS release?
These are separate BLS estimates, not a wage growth forecast. Survey coverage and area boundaries can change. The table places the published median for Nurse Midwives in United States from BLS OEWS May 2024 next to BLS OEWS May 2025. A top-coded value is a floor, not an exact median.
| Pay basis | BLS OEWS May 2024 | BLS OEWS May 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| annual | $128,790 | $134,040 |
| hourly | $61.92 | $64.44 |
Prior release: 2024-05, published 2025-04-02. Current release: 2025-05, published 2026-05-15. A top-coded value is a floor, not an exact median.
What does this pay include, and what does it leave out?
OEWS counts base rates, guaranteed pay and production incentives. It describes pay reported for employees, not an offer for this vacancy. Benefits and self-employed earnings are outside these wage estimates. For physicians and other providers, production bonuses and commissions belong in BLS wages.
Do not add them twice. Partnership distributions and contractor receipts are not a separate rate published by OEWS.
Overtime, shift differentials and on-call pay are excluded. If this job has a call rota or extra shifts, spell out those payments rather than treating the BLS median as the whole package.
Meal and lodging payments and relocation allowances are excluded. A travel per diem for those costs is not part of this wage. Keep it separate from the pay comparison.
Non-production bonuses are excluded. A sign-on or retention payment that is not tied to production should be discussed separately. BLS does not publish an amount to add for that payment.
BLS pay definitions. These notes do not add an estimated bonus or premium.
Which metro areas publish pay for this occupation?
This table lists every metro area where BLS published a median for Nurse Midwives in BLS OEWS May 2025. Each row shows the median, the middle half of pay from the 25th to the 75th percentile, employment and the location quotient. Metros without a published median are left out rather than estimated. Select a metro for its own pay page.
| Metro area | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $212,630 | $209,050 to $218,420 | 190 | 1.55 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $202,850 | $174,700 to $224,580 | 220 | 0.69 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $191,220 | $174,790 to $212,370 | 80 | 1.43 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $181,450 | $128,180 to $222,890 | 60 | 0.77 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $174,870 | $139,640 to $176,370 | 200 | 1.42 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $162,970 | $153,590 to $162,970 | 70 | 0.70 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $159,730 | $141,970 to $177,680 | 240 | 0.49 |
| Northern New Jersey market: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. Shared metro, not New Jersey-only. | $159,730 | $141,970 to $177,680 | 240 | 0.49 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $149,170 | $126,060 to $164,450 | 310 | 1.97 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $147,140 | $132,900 to $160,010 | 170 | 2.84 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $146,590 | $141,190 to $159,850 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $141,520 | $124,120 to $152,510 | 50 | 1.09 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $139,530 | $130,930 to $152,660 | 70 | 1.58 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $137,610 | $126,780 to $137,610 | 110 | 1.39 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $135,910 | $130,700 to $145,040 | 150 | 2.23 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $135,180 | $118,670 to $141,690 | 90 | 2.41 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $134,810 | $129,460 to $146,560 | 300 | 3.05 |
| Columbus, OH | $134,380 | $120,950 to $142,380 | 50 | 0.81 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $132,070 | $132,070 to $154,990 | 30 | 0.85 |
| New Haven, CT | $130,790 | $130,790 to $130,850 | 60 | 3.87 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $129,990 | $116,390 to $149,590 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $129,280 | $112,610 to $149,040 | 90 | 0.55 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $128,110 | $118,420 to $141,130 | 60 | 0.89 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $128,020 | $66,840 to $128,030 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $125,140 | $114,200 to $135,230 | 180 | 1.81 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $116,440 | $104,400 to $118,880 | 70 | 2.14 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $115,500 | $79,570 to $134,380 | 180 | 0.79 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $105,510 | $95,410 to $147,620 | 230 | 1.55 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $101,630 | $101,630 to $102,920 | 120 | 2.09 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $77,620 | $77,620 to $140,220 | 170 | 1.18 |
How do you find pay for a state or nonmetro area?
Choose a state, metro or nonmetropolitan area below to open the published figures for Nurse Midwives. If BLS did not publish a median, the guide shows the state or national estimate with a clear fallback label. It does not create a salary page for that missing combination. Every area page names its source row.
Does this pay differ by healthcare industry?
National industry estimates for Nurse Midwives, SOC 29-1161. Industry names are the names published by BLS. These are not local industry wages. Each row uses the pay basis BLS published for that industry, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with employment. Cells BLS did not publish stay blank rather than estimated. Compare rows only within the same pay basis.
| Industry / NAICS | Basis | P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offices of Physicians NAICS 621100 | annual | $103,120 | $118,970 | $130,870 | $149,170 | $164,450 | 3,270 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners NAICS 621300 | annual | $49,780 | $75,080 | $94,180 | $112,020 | $133,690 | 760 |
| Outpatient Care Centers NAICS 621400 | annual | $108,410 | $123,620 | $157,440 | $202,850 | $218,760 | 1,560 |
| Hospitals NAICS 622000 | annual | $117,100 | $131,760 | $140,700 | $159,900 | $174,230 | 1,890 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities NAICS 623000 | annual | $64,990 | $78,680 | $86,290 | $86,310 | $95,410 | Not published by BLS |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly NAICS 623300 | annual | $78,680 | $79,890 | $86,300 | $86,310 | $95,410 | Not published by BLS |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, BLS OEWS May 2025. National industry-specific estimates. A value marked “or more” is top-coded.
Where is published pay highest and lowest for this occupation?
Highest and lowest published numeric medians for Nurse Midwives, SOC 29-1161. Top-coded medians cannot be ranked exactly and are not placed in this list. The table shows up to ten metros at each end, with employment and location quotient. Location quotient describes employment concentration, not pay. A metro missing here may still publish a capped value.
How does this pay compare with all wages in each metro?
We divide this occupation's median by the all-occupations median for the same area and pay basis. This is simple arithmetic on BLS rows. It is not a cost-of-living adjustment or a percentile. Location quotient is shown separately. A ratio above one means this occupation's median is higher than the area's all-occupations median.
| Metro | Occupation median | All-occupations median | Median ratio | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $218,760 | $48,400 | 4.52 times | 0.47 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $202,850 | $55,850 | 3.63 times | 0.69 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $184,620 | $57,220 | 3.23 times | Not published by BLS |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $191,220 | $59,750 | 3.20 times | 1.43 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $181,450 | $58,690 | 3.09 times | 0.77 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $146,590 | $48,640 | 3.01 times | Not published by BLS |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $151,640 | $50,790 | 2.99 times | 1.33 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $212,630 | $74,260 | 2.86 times | 1.55 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $138,880 | $49,660 | 2.80 times | Not published by BLS |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $129,360 | $46,580 | 2.78 times | 1.50 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, BLS OEWS May 2025. SOC 29-1161 Nurse Midwives, metropolitan areas listed above. BLS page for this occupation. CSV
What do we see when recruiting for this role?
Read the Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) brief alongside the occupation mapping. Required credentials, current duties and the work setting can differ within Nurse Midwives. A BLS wage is a description of surveyed workers, not an offer recommendation. Compare the actual responsibilities and the candidate's preferences before changing the brief.
Qualitative view from our search work. Not BLS data.
What is the median pay for Nurse Midwives?
$134,040 nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025). 50% of workers in this occupation earned less than this and 50% earned more. The median covers every setting BLS surveyed, so it is a midpoint of reported pay, not an offer benchmark for your vacancy. Read the mapping note and the percentile range before you set pay.
How much do the best-paid workers earn?
10% of workers in this occupation earned more than $188,320, and 10% earned less than $93,620.
Is this the pay for Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) exactly?
No. BLS reports Nurse Midwives as one occupation. It does not publish a separate estimate for Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), its setting or its engagement terms. Treat these figures as the closest published evidence, not an exact-title benchmark.
What is the hourly equivalent?
The BLS median hourly wage is $64.44. BLS converts hourly to annual with 2,080 hours a year, so the annual median is $134,040.
Where is the median highest?
Among the metro areas listed on this page, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA has the highest published median at $218,760.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimates 7,920 jobs nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).