How Much Do Perinatal Nurses Make?

Perinatal nurses care for patients throughout their pregnancies and provide postpartum care to patients and their newborns. All registered nurses (RNs), including perinatal nurses, can expect employment opportunities to grow by 9% between 2020 and 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Continue reading for information about perinatal nurse salaries, ways to increase earnings, and how average income compares to other nursing specializations.

Perinatal nurses earn an average annual salary of $68,740, or $31.28 an hour, but the range of perinatal nurse pay spans $48,000 to $96,000 a year, Payscale data from June 2022 shows. Factors that influence perinatal nurse salaries include experience, education level, work setting, and geographical variations, such as cost of living and supply and demand. Perinatal nurses with an RN license can expect pay increases of $2-$3 per hour about every five years.

Perinatal nurse salaries fall in line with similar nursing specialty areas. As of June 2022, Payscale reports labor and delivery nurses at $68,720, neonatal intensive care nurses (NICU) at $71,190, and obstetric/gynecology nurses at 64,300.

Although state-specific perinatal nurse salary information is unavailable, RN wage data can be helpful in identifying the highest-paying states. Topping the list of salaries for all RNs are California, Hawaii, Oregon, the District of Columbia, and Alaska. Average salaries in these states range from $97,230 in Alaska to $124,000 in California.

Cost of living is also higher among these top five highest-paying states. Three of the five listed rank in the top 10 for regional price parities. Hawaii takes the lead with the highest cost of living, followed by the District of Columbia in second and California in fourth. Alaska and Oregon rank 11th and 13th. Supply and demand also play a role in salary variation. California, for example, faces a projected shortage of 44,500 RNs from 2014-2030.

The states with the highest annual pay for registered nurses include:

Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

In addition to your location and accumulated experience, other ways to increase your perinatal nurse pay include becoming certified, earning a graduate degree, shifting toward nurse administration, and moving into a different practice area.

The average RN salary totals $82,750. Perinatal nurse pay falls below this average, as do other specialties with salaries in the $60,000-$70,000 range. These include home healthcare nurses, labor and delivery nurses, lactation consultants, NICU nurses, and OB/GYN nurses. Pediatric, perinatal, and reproductive specialists also earn comparable wages.

Perinatal nurse salaries average $68,740, according to Payscale data from June 2022. Nurse wages, in general, vary by location, practice setting, experience, certification, and education levels. Supply and demand also plays a role in perinatal nurse salaries.

Payscale data for June 2022 reports neonatal salaries averaging $71,900, which exceeds the average perinatal nurse salary of $68,740. Neonatal care can involve caring for newborn infants in crisis, which may factor into the higher pay.

The highest earners among RNs tend to specialize in critical care or work as operating room nurses. Both of these specializations pay average salaries of $75,370 and $76,650, respectively, according to June 2022 Payscale data.

All RNs, including perinatal nurses, can expect a 9% projected employment growth rate for 2020-2030. The projected job growth rate for NPs comes in much higher at 52%, and nurse midwives should see an 11% increase in opportunities.