Nurse Midwives
Machines can already do 24% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 45%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Nurse Midwives in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 24% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 5% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2037, and 45% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 7,920 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $134,040 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 96% for contact with people.
- Also called: Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), Nurse Midwife, Staff Certified Nurse Midwife, Staff Nurse 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provide prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, or newborn care to patients | 24% | 3% to 25% | |
| Document patients' health histories, symptoms, physical conditions, or other diagnostic information | 9% | 63% to 81% | |
| Perform physical examinations by taking vital signs, checking neurological reflexes, examining breasts, or performing pelvic examinations | 8% | 3% to 25% | |
| Monitor fetal development by listening to fetal heartbeat, taking external uterine measurements, identifying fetal position, or estimating fetal size and weight | 7% | 3% to 25% | |
| Educate patients and family members regarding prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, newborn, or interconception care | 6% | 32% to 50% | |
| Provide primary health care, including pregnancy and childbirth, to women | 6% | 3% to 25% | |
| Explain procedures to patients, family members, staff members or others | 5% | 36% to 57% | |
| Order and interpret diagnostic or laboratory tests | 5% | 50% to 74% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills nurse 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.
- Physical Therapists41% of tasks by 2035 · US median $102,760
- Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists44% of tasks by 2035 · US median $100,330
- Athletic Trainers39% of tasks by 2035 · US median $62,520
- Midwives41% of tasks by 2035 · US median $65,790
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Nurse Midwives?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2037. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of nurse midwives?
Machines can do 24% of the tasks of nurse midwives today and 45% 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 29-1161.00 (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). Nurse Midwives: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/nurse-midwives/