Labor & Delivery Nurse

Also called: L&D Nurse, Obstetric Nurse

Supports people through labor and birth and watches over mom and baby.

A day in the life

Reads fetal heart monitor strips, coaches a mom through pushing, and helps the doctor or midwife catch the baby. Then it's weighing, warming, and the first feeding.

Pay over a career

Starting
$68k
Typical
$95k
High
$132k

Estimate based on BLS registered nurses (May 2025 median about $95k); specialty and region shift pay.

Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.

Training

Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. ADN or BSN, RN license, then experience in the specialty; certification optional.

Ways in: 4-year college, 2-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.

Majors to look at: Nursing.

Outlook

Growing faster than average. Tracks registered nurses overall (faster than average).

Will it last? Our AI estimate

Low risk for 10 years. AI watches fetal monitor strips for warning signs; coaching labor and acting fast in emergencies stay human.

Start now, in high school

Classes: Biology, Anatomy & physiology, Child development, Spanish.

Official data: O*NET occupation 29-1141.

More Nursing careers

Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.