Whether you are a seasoned RN, new grad, or travel nurse looking for your next assignment, understanding pay is very important. If you are an L&D (Labor and delivery) nurse, you must be wondering how much they are making in 2025. There are a lot of factors that affect the salary for L&D nurses, such as role, location, health care facility, experience, etc. Here is the detailed information on how much L&D nurses are making in 2025.
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What is an L&D nurse?
Labor and delivery nurses are registered nurses who provide care to mother and baby throughout labor and delivery and ensure their comfort and safety. They provide care to the mother before (Antepartum), during (Intrapartum), and immediately after childbirth (postpartum).
Labor and delivery (L&D) nurse roles and salaries in 2025
If you are thinking of becoming a labor and delivery nurse, it is important to understand that there are different types and career levels in L&D nursing. These roles and other factors such as location, experience, healthcare facility, etc, also affect the salaries of L&D nurses.
- Labor and delivery nurse
- Postpartum (MotherBaby) Nurse
- Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)
L&D nurse and their salary in 2025
L&D nurses take care of mothers before, during, and after childbirth and also help with immediate newborn care. They work on the maternity floor of the hospital.
What is the average salary of an L&D nurse?
The average L&D nurse salary in Oct 2025 is $69.00/ hour, still one of the most demanding specialties in the US.
Experience also plays an important role in the salaries or pay of L&D nurses. Here is the breakdown:
- Entry-level L&D nurses (0-1 year of experience): US $52,270 / yr (≈ US $25/hr)
- Early career L&D nurses (1-2 years of experience): US $74,500/yr (≈ US $36/hr)
- Mid-level L&D nurses (2-4 years of experience): US $94,212/yr (≈ US $45.29/hr)
- Experienced level L&D nurses (5-8 years of experience): US $115,000/yr (≈ US $55/hr)
- Expert L&D nurses (8 plus experience): US $141,912/yr (≈ US $68–70/hr)
Postpartum (Mother‑Baby) Nurse salary in 2025
Postpartum nurses take care of the baby and mother after childbirth. Some of the roles and responsibilities of an L&D nurse are as follows:
- Monitor mothers’ health after childbirth.
- Helping mother with newborn baby care, such as feeding, newborn baby check-ups.
- Supporting breast milk and educating parents, etc.
What is the postpartum(mother-baby) nurse pay in the US in 2025?
In a recent survey, the average salary of a postpartum(mother-baby) nurse in 2025 is US $83,931/year (US $40/hour).
Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) nurse salary in 2025
A certified nurse midwife is a certified nurse who has advanced training and education in providing primary care to women throughout their life span. Roles and responsibilities of a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) are:
- Provide prenatal care such as monitoring pregnancy, childbirth preparation, educating about nutrition, ordering labs, etc.
- Assist with childbirth.
- Provide postpartum care to the mother.
- Perform annual exams, pap smears, etc.
- Educate women and families on reproductive health, etc.
What is the salary of a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) in the US in 2025?
The average salary of CNMs (Certified Nurse-Midwives) is around $119,500/year in the US.
What are the factors affecting L&D nurse salaries?
The pay of L&D nurses varies depending on different factors such as:
- Location: Higher cost of living areas, such as New York, California, etc., pay more than in urban areas.
- Experience: Experience is also one of the main reasons for L&D nurses’ pay. Experienced labor and delivery RN get higher pay.
- Location: The salary of L&D nurses also depends on the location of the healthcare facility.
- Shifts: Some shifts pay more, such as night shifts, weekdays, holidays, and overtime. This can boost your income as a nurse.
- Extra certification and education: Having additional certification and training can help improve the L&D salary.
- Supply and demand: The pay of L&D nurses changes according to supply and demand. Hospitals are ready to provide high pay packages to overcome nurse shortages.
How to boost your income as an L&D (Labor and Delivery Nurse)?
- Get certifications such as RNC-OB (Inpatient Obstetric Nursing), Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), etc.
- Pursue specialized roles to boost your L&D salary.
- You can also earn more with travel nursing. Travel L&D nurses get higher base pay than staff nurses, bonuses, stipends, etc, that can boost their income.
- Working overtime and getting extra shifts can also increase your monthly income. Working night shifts on weekends and holidays is also one of the ways to boost your L&D salary.
- Working in high-paying states and choosing high-paying locations for your assignments.
- If you are a travel L&D nurse, always negotiate your salary and benefits, which is possible through SkillGigs, which allows you to talk directly to the employers.
- Teach or mentor.
Is becoming a travel L&D nurse worth it?
Yes, the year 2026 is best for travel nursing due to high demand for nurse specialties such as L&D nurses, ICU nurses, ER nurses, and OR nurses. Travel nursing not only provides freedom and flexibility but also high pay. L&D nurses are making $3000 to $4000 per week and much more with bonuses, housing stipends, etc.
How much are L&D nurses making in the US?
As of till oct 2025, L&D RN in the US are making an average of $69.00 per hour. (How Much RNs Are Actually Making In 2025? RN Salary Trends, but many other factors affect their pay, such as location, assignments, experience, bonuses, etc.
Conclusion
The demand for L&D nurses is high in the US, and hospitals are willing to pay high salaries. In US the average pay of L&D nurses is $60.00 per hour in 2025, but many other factors play an important role in the overall salary of L&D RNs. The demand for travel L&D nurses is also increasing, and hospitals are paying nurses to fill the gaps where there is a shortage of staff to provide effective care for mothers and their babies.
Travel nursing is trending in 2026, and if you want to make more money, then join SkillGigs that matches you to the high-paying travel nursing jobs. Download our app and get a $500 bonus once you sign up with SkillGigs.
