Do Nurse Practitioners or Certified Nurse Midwifes earn more?

Nurse Practitioners earn more, with a national median of about $132,050 a year vs $131,570 for Certified Nurse Midwifes — a gap of roughly $480 per year.

How big is the pay gap between Nurse Practitioners and Certified Nurse Midwifes?

The difference is about $480 a year. It varies by state, experience, setting, and shift — use the calculator to compare both for your own situation.

Why do Nurse Practitioners earn more than Certified Nurse Midwifes?

Scope of practice, required education, and autonomy are the biggest drivers — Nurse Practitioners complete more training and take on more clinical responsibility, which is reflected in pay.

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.

Nurse Practitioner vs Nurse Midwife Salary

Nurse Practitioners earn more — a national median of $132,050 vs $131,570, a gap of about $480 per year.

Nurse Practitioner

Verified public wage data

$132,050 / yr median

Median $132,050

$94,530Middle 50%: $112,030–$140,870$169,030

Certified Nurse Midwife

Verified public wage data

$131,570 / yr median

Median $131,570

$89,610Middle 50%: $105,050–$145,760$165,700

Annual pay, side by side

Nurse PractitionerVerified public wage data$132,050$63.49/hr
Certified Nurse MidwifeVerified public wage data$131,570$63.25/hr

What the difference comes down to

Nurse practitioner and certified nurse midwife pay is very close, with NPs edging slightly ahead on average. Both are advanced-practice registered nurses with graduate degrees and prescriptive authority; midwifery is a focused specialty in pregnancy, birth, and women's health, while NPs span a wider range of settings. Scope of practice, required education, and autonomy are the biggest drivers of the gap. Use the calculator to personalize either path by your state, experience, and work setting.

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Source & confidence— A verified figure from official U.S. public wage data.

BLS OEWS (May 2024, national)

National wage figures for SOC 29-1171 are seeded from published BLS OEWS May 2024 national data. Run `npm run import:oews` to replace seed values with figures parsed directly from official OEWS files.

Source year 2024. Last reviewed June 1, 2025. Full methodology

Last reviewed June 1, 2025.

Nurse Practitioner vs Nurse Midwife Salary FAQ

Do Nurse Practitioners or Certified Nurse Midwifes earn more?: Nurse Practitioners earn more, with a national median of about $132,050 a year vs $131,570 for Certified Nurse Midwifes — a gap of roughly $480 per year.
How big is the pay gap between Nurse Practitioners and Certified Nurse Midwifes?: The difference is about $480 a year. It varies by state, experience, setting, and shift — use the calculator to compare both for your own situation.
Why do Nurse Practitioners earn more than Certified Nurse Midwifes?: Scope of practice, required education, and autonomy are the biggest drivers — Nurse Practitioners complete more training and take on more clinical responsibility, which is reflected in pay.
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.