What does a Nurse Midwife Earn?
Career News July 23, 2013The nurse midwife salary is based on several possible factors. While a midwife must obtain training and advanced degrees to provide services to help expectant mothers, the salary figures are related to a wide range of possible factors. A midwife is a specialized nursing position that requires a higher education than the basic registered nurse. It also provides a higher salary due to the specialized skills that are developed.
Average Nursing Salary
While the nurse midwife salary is slightly different from the average figures for a registered nurse, the education level is also higher. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average registered nurse with an associate’s degree makes roughly $64,700 per year.
Nursing is a potentially lucrative career path because it has a high demand and pays a relatively high salary based on the educational level. A nurse midwife is expected to receive a higher education and further specialized training after completing the requirements to become a registered nurse. As a result, the pay rate is also higher than the average nurse.
According to Scrubs Magazine, a certified nurse midwife salary is among the top-paid position. Scrubs Magazine states that the average nurse midwife makes roughly $84,000 per year. The higher salary is related to the specialized skills associated with childbirth and women’s care during and after pregnancy.
Job Responsibilities
Since a nurse midwife is a specialized medical professional, training and advanced degrees are required to obtain certification. After becoming certified by the state, the nurse will have extremely specific job responsibilities related to the health of expectant mothers and the unborn child.
According to the University of Washington, a nurse midwife focuses on women’s health care needs. The nurse provides contraceptive advice, information women need throughout a pregnancy, pre-natal care services, delivery services and assistance to help a mother learn the basic care of a newborn infant.
While the job duties primarily relate to pregnancy and care of the mother and child after birth, a nurse midwife is also responsible for helping women make decisions about their health. The midwife is a specialized nurse with advanced training in women’s care and childbirth.
Places of Employment
A key part of nurse midwife salary figures is the place of employment. A wide range of factors are involved in determining specific salary when compared to the average figures. Due to the specialized skills, a nurse midwife has a wide range of employment opportunities in different medical facilities.
According to HealtheCareers.com, a nurse midwife is a professional with a master’s degree in nursing and advanced training in midwifery. As a result, the professional nurse is able to provide advanced care services to women and new infants as necessary for the situation.
The most common place of employment for the professional nurse midwife is a hospital according to Midwife.org. According to Midwife.org, roughly 32.7% of all nurse midwives work in a hospital or medical center.
While the majority of nurses work in a medical facility, almost 30.5% of midwives work in a physician’s practice. These nurses often support a gynecologist or similar physicians that focus on women’s health and pre-natal care. The midwife is able to provide pre-natal services, advice and assistance throughout the pregnancy in a physician’s practice.
Despite the fact that most nurses work in medical facilities or in a physician’s office, other opportunities are available for nurses with training and advanced degrees. According to HealtheCareers.com, a certified nurse midwife might run a private practice, provide home care services or even work in consultation positions.
A state-certified midwife has many career opportunities based on the higher educational standards. It is not necessary to focus solely on hospitals because the highest paid nurse midwives work in private practice and consultation positions.
The nurse midwife salary has many possible components that impact job opportunities. While most nurses work with a physician or in a hospital, it is possible to focus solely on the care of a mother during birth as a private practice. Regardless of the career path, the advanced degree opens many doors of opportunity for a high salary.
