Midwife
Midwives support pregnant people and their babies before, during and after, childbirth.
- Potential salary
- £32,000 starter to £48,000 experienced per year
- Typical hours
- 37 to 40. Working pattern: evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts.
- Career area
- Health and care
- Where they might work
- 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 may need to wear a uniform.
- A typical task
- advise pregnant people and check they are healthy
- Subjects that may help
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
- Typical route
- You can do a degree in midwifery as long as it's approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
- Interest area used here
- Helping and teaching
What you might do
- advise pregnant people 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
Could this suit me?
Consider which of these skills and ways of working appeal to you.
- 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
More skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
Routes into this career
University route
- 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.
University courses that could lead to this career
These are course families, not published offers. A link does not mean the degree is sufficient on its own.
- Midwifery
Direct qualifying route. An approved midwifery degree, or an approved postgraduate course, leads towards registration.
Apprenticeship or vocational route
- 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.
- a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
Other routes
- Volunteering in the NHS is a good way to get work experience in healthcare. This can be helpful when you apply for jobs or training.
- 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.
Career progression
- 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.
Registration and requirements
you'll need to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council
pass enhanced background checks
Subjects that may help
Subject guidance
- 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
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship