Midwives
Machines can already do 20% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 41%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Midwives in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 20% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2038, and 41% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 35,010 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $65,790 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 89% for contact with people.
- Also called: Birth Center Midwife, Certified Direct-Entry Midwife, Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), Homebirth Midwife.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitor maternal condition during labor by checking vital signs, monitoring uterine contractions, or performing physical examinations | 10% | 3% to 25% | |
| Conduct ongoing prenatal health assessments, tracking changes in physical and emotional health | 10% | 3% to 25% | |
| Maintain documentation of all patients' contacts, reviewing and updating records as necessary | 10% | 63% to 81% | |
| Monitor fetal growth and well-being through heartbeat detection, body measurement, and palpation | 6% | 3% to 25% | |
| Identify, monitor, or treat pregnancy-related problems such as hypertension, gestational diabetes, pre-term labor, or retarded fetal growth | 5% | 3% to 25% | |
| Evaluate patients' laboratory and medical records, requesting assistance from other practitioners when necessary | 5% | 40% to 64% | |
| Perform post-partum health assessments of mothers and babies at regular intervals | 5% | 3% to 25% | |
| Provide necessary medical care for infants at birth, including emergency care such as resuscitation | 3% | 3% to 25% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills midwives use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Athletic Trainers39% of tasks by 2035 · US median $62,520
- Psychiatric Technicians32% of tasks by 2035 · US median $45,130
- Dental Hygienists36% of tasks by 2035 · US median $98,100
- Paramedics39% of tasks by 2035 · US median $60,600
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Midwives?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2038. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of midwives?
Machines can do 20% of the tasks of midwives today and 41% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 29-9099.01 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Midwives: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/midwives/