Earn nearly triple the state’s average salary as a nurse midwife

Nurse midwives, health care pros who specialize in women’s reproductive health and childbirth, made $124,020 in Georgia last year. That’s significantly more than the average nurse and substantially more than the average local worker. And for those interested in entering the field, the Peach State is going to need a lot more of them.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurse midwives can actually make considerably more than the average $124,020 salary. In 2023, the 10% highest paid pros took home $177,530. That comes out to $85.35 an hour, or nearly triple the average Georgia salary ($61,250).

Even the 10% lowest paid nurse midwives earned remarkably more than most Peach State workers, at $87,320. That’s just $2,680 less than the average Georgia nurse.

The bureau estimated there were roughly 6,960 working in the profession last year. For comparison, registered nurses outnumbered them about 25-to-1. Nurse midwives are in high demand, however. The profession is expected to grow 38% by 2032 — vastly more than the average projected job growth of 3%.

“About 29,200 openings for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners are projected each year, on average, over the decade,” the bureau reported. “Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.”

The Peach State is a budding hot spot for the profession, considering Georgia employs more nurse midwives than 48 other states. California and New York, which each have well over twice Georgia’s population, are the only states that employ more of them.

Those interested in entering the industry should consider checking out physician offices, as they employ more nurse midwives than any other sector. Hospitals employ the next most, with outpatient care centers, health practitioner offices and schools trailing behind.

For the best salary, however, you should consider working for outpatient care centers, which paid an average $164,080 last year.