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Medical

Midwife

Midwives support pregnant women and their babies before, during and after, childbirth.

Annual Salary

£28,000 to £50,000

Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

35 to 40 a week

You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts

3.8%
Future employment

There will be 3.8% more Midwife jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

In this role you could:

  • advise pregnant women and check they are healthy
  • run classes about pregnancy and parenting
  • manage labour and deliver babies
  • advise on ways to manage pain during labour
  • give advice after the baby is born
  • visit homes to check on parents and the baby

Working environment

You may need to wear a uniform.

You could work at a client's home, at a health centre, at a GP practice or in an NHS or private hospital.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.

You can get into this job through:

  • a university degree
  • an apprenticeship
  • a specialist course run by a professional body
University

You can do a degree in midwifery as long as it's approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

If you already have a degree that is not in midwifery, you can do a postgraduate midwifery course to become a midwife.

You may be able to get additional student financial support through the NHS Learning Support Fund.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
  • 2 or 3 A levels, including a science, or a level 3 diploma or access to higher education in health, science or nursing
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
For more information
Apprenticeship

You can do a Midwife Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.

This typically takes 48 months to complete and includes learning on the job and studying at an approved university.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
For more information
Volunteering and work experience

You'll find it helpful to get some volunteering experience in healthcare before you apply for a course.

You can also find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT.

Other routes

If you're a registered adult nurse you may be able to take a conversion course to become a midwife. These usually take between 18 and 24 months.

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

More information

Career tips

When applying for degree courses and apprenticeships, you'll be expected to show an understanding of how the NHS values apply in your work.

Further information

You can find more on how to become a midwife from the Royal College of Midwives and Health Careers.

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You must renew your Nursing & Midwifery Council registration every 3 years to show you're keeping your skills up to date.

You could take further training to specialise in areas like ultrasound or neonatal care.

With experience, you could become a ward manager or team leader.

You could also train to become a health visitor, a director of midwifery or midwifery consultant.

You can find more on how to become a midwife from the Royal College of Midwives and Health Careers.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council has information on midwifery training and registration.


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Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • knowledge of medicine and neonatal care
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • knowledge of psychology
  • customer service skills
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • thinking and reasoning skills
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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