Prevailing Wage for Nurse Midwives
Prevailing wage for Nurse Midwives (SOC 29-1161) is set by the DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data. Whether your offer is for a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) role or a Staff Nurse Midwife position, DOL assigns one of four experience levels, and the floor shifts meaningfully from city to city.
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Entry-level CNMs with limited post-graduate experience, typically new to independent practice or working under close supervision within a structured hospital or birth-center setting. DOL expects minimal autonomous caseload management at this stage.
Qualified nurse midwives with moderate experience who manage routine deliveries and gynecological care with general oversight. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Nurse Midwives, reflecting typical mid-career hires at hospitals and health systems.
Experienced practitioners managing complex obstetric cases, high-risk patients, or specialty gynecological services with limited supervision. Often involves mentoring junior staff or contributing to clinical protocols within a midwifery or OB department.
Fully competent senior midwives in lead clinical, program director, or regional practice roles. Expected to set departmental standards, oversee quality improvement, and function with full autonomy across complex patient populations and institutional responsibilities.
Prevailing Wage for Nurse Midwives by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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Confirm your filing level before accepting a CNM offer
Hospital systems frequently file CNM positions at Level 2, even for experienced candidates managing high-risk deliveries. If your caseload includes complex obstetric or specialty gynecological work, verify whether Level 3 better reflects your actual scope before signing.
Watch for bonus structures excluded from prevailing wage
Signing bonuses and malpractice coverage stipends are common in midwifery offers but do not count toward prevailing wage compliance. Only base salary satisfies the DOL floor, so a generous benefits package can mask an offer that falls short.
Check wages separately for hospital versus birth-center worksites
A CNM role splitting time between a hospital campus and a freestanding birth center may carry different prevailing wage floors by worksite location. The LCA must list the actual worksite, so a lower-wage suburb could reduce the required floor even if the employer is headquartered in a high-wage metro.
Find employers with CNM sponsorship history on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate shows which employers have sponsored nurse midwife and CNM roles before, letting you focus applications on health systems and OB practices with a documented track record of filing H-1B or green card petitions for this occupation.
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Find Jobs for Nurse MidwivesPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 29-1161.00 alongside Nurse Midwives, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) Prevailing Wage
Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) Prevailing Wage
Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) positions fall under SOC 29-1161.00 (Nurse Midwives). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Nurse Midwife Prevailing Wage
Nurse Midwife Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Nurse Midwife for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-1161.00 (Nurse Midwives). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Staff Certified Nurse Midwife Prevailing Wage
Staff Certified Nurse Midwife Prevailing Wage
Staff Certified Nurse Midwife is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-1161.00 (Nurse Midwives). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Staff Nurse Midwife Prevailing Wage
Staff Nurse Midwife Prevailing Wage
Staff Nurse Midwife positions fall under SOC 29-1161.00 (Nurse Midwives). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Nurse Midwives?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, organized by SOC code 29-1161. For each metropolitan area, DOL assigns wage floors across four experience levels. Employers must certify on the Labor Condition Application that they will pay at least the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite location and level filed.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
DOL's four levels reflect increasing autonomy and complexity: Level 1 is entry with close supervision, Level 2 is qualified with general oversight, Level 3 is experienced with limited supervision over complex cases, and Level 4 is fully competent in senior or lead roles. OFLC guidance maps each level to years of experience and scope of practice. Review the job description against those criteria, and cross-check the level your employer is filing on the LCA, which becomes public record after certification.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same CNM role vary so much by city?
DOL derives wages from regional OES surveys, so local labor market conditions drive the floor. A certified nurse-midwife position in Los Angeles or San Francisco sits in a high-cost, high-competition market, pushing the prevailing wage significantly above a similar role in Lakeland, Florida or Knoxville, Tennessee. The LCA must name the actual worksite, so the prevailing wage that applies is always tied to where you will physically work, not where the employer is headquartered.
What happens if a sponsored offer falls below the prevailing wage floor?
An employer cannot certify the LCA if the offered salary is below the prevailing wage for the filed level and worksite. USCIS will deny the H-1B petition if the LCA wage commitment is not met, and DOL can audit compliance after certification. If the offer is below the floor, the employer must either raise the salary, refile at a lower level if the duties genuinely support it, or the sponsorship cannot proceed.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Nurse Midwives position in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool on the DOL website to look up the current prevailing wage by SOC code 29-1161 and metropolitan area. Select the city where you will work, choose the applicable wage level, and record the annual figure. You can also search O*NET for occupation details that help you identify the correct level. To see which employers have actually sponsored nurse midwife roles, Migrate Mate filters sponsorship history by role and location so you can compare offers against the market.
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