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Nurse Anesthetists vs Nurse Midwives: what changes?

Consider Nurse Anesthetists if you want to administer anesthesia, monitor patient's vital signs, and oversee patient recovery from anesthesia. Consider Nurse Midwives if you would rather diagnose and coordinate all aspects of the birthing process, either independently or as part of a healthcare team. Both list master's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Nurse Anesthetists and Nurse Midwives. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Nurse Anesthetists

National median pay (2025)
$236,590
Route into the job
Master's degree
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Manage patients' airway or pulmonary status, using techniques such as endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, pharmacological support, respiratory therapy, and extubation.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
2,400
Know before you choose

Exposure to illness or infection is a recurring part of the work context, even when safety procedures are followed.

See the full Nurse Anesthetists brief

Nurse Midwives

National median pay (2025)
$134,040
Route into the job
Master's degree
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Provide prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, or newborn care to patients.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
400
Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (8,200 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Nurse Midwives brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Nurse Anesthetists has the edge on annual openings

Nurse Anesthetists is at 2,400 annual openings, compared with 400 annual openings for Nurse Midwives.

2

Nurse Anesthetists has the edge on median pay

Nurse Anesthetists is at $236,590, compared with $134,040 for Nurse Midwives.

3

Nurse Midwives has the edge on projected growth

Nurse Midwives is at 11.5% projected growth, compared with 9.7% projected growth for Nurse Anesthetists.

64.5/ 100

Nurse Anesthetists

vs
54.7/ 100

Nurse Midwives

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Nurse Anesthetists vs Nurse Midwives

DimensionNurse AnesthetistsNurse Midwives
Median pay (2025)$236,590$134,040
Pay percentile97.8 percentile92.9 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)9.7%11.5%
Annual openings (2025–2035)2,400400
2025 employment54,5008,200
How you qualifyMaster's degreeMaster's degree
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 5Job Zone 5
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingBLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Nurse Anesthetists briefRead Nurse Midwives brief

Try another comparison

Nurse Anesthetists vs Acupuncturists

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Nurse Anesthetists
$236,590 · 9.7% growth
Acupuncturists
$76,040 · 8.6% growth
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Nurse Midwives vs Physician Assistant

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Nurse Midwives
$134,040 · 11.5% growth
Physician Assistant
$135,880 · 21.1% growth
Compare careers →

Nurse Midwives vs Acupuncturists

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Nurse Midwives
$134,040 · 11.5% growth
Acupuncturists
$76,040 · 8.6% growth
Compare careers →
ChooseField compares fields using public labor-market and professional sources.