Midwives

Overview

Midwives has a national median salary of $65,790 per year, with +5.1% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a postsecondary certificate as the typical education needed to enter this occupation.

Description

Provide prenatal care and childbirth assistance.

Work Values

• Relationships
• Achievement
• Independence

Work Styles

Responsibilities

Tasks

• Monitor maternal condition during labor by checking vital signs, monitoring uterine contractions, or performing physical examinations.
• Identify tubal and ectopic pregnancies and refer patients for treatments.
• Provide necessary medical care for infants at birth, including emergency care such as resuscitation.
• Conduct ongoing prenatal health assessments, tracking changes in physical and emotional health.
• Monitor fetal growth and well-being through heartbeat detection, body measurement, and palpation.

Work Activities

• Assisting and Caring for Others
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Getting Information
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

Detailed Work Activities

• Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a postsecondary certificate as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished a master's degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Master's degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for a postsecondary certificate.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Midwives:

Video Resources