Labor & Delivery Nurse salary: $80.69/hr$3,228/wk$167,835/yr median.
Pay range $68.00$2,720$141,440–$85.00/hr$3,400/wk$176,800/yr across the middle 50% of active Women's Health Nurse Registered Nurse (RN) postings nationwide.
187 unique employers · 645 cities · 53 states.
How Labor & Delivery Nurse pay is distributed.
10% of postings pay under $62.25/hr$2,490/wk$129,480/yr. The top 10% pay above $90.39/hr$3,616/wk$188,011/yr.
How Labor & Delivery Nurse pay has moved month over month.
Median pay moved from $77.81 in May 2026 to $69.75 in Oct 2026 (-10.4%). Bars show monthly posting volume; the line tracks the posting-weighted median.
| Month | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | $77.81$3,112$161,845 | $62.02$2,481$129,002–$81.86$3,274$170,269 | 677 |
| Jun 2026 | $80.61$3,224$167,669 | $66.77$2,671$138,882–$85.02$3,401$176,842 | 2,740 |
| Jul 2026 | $80.94$3,238$168,355 | $68.44$2,738$142,355–$85.00$3,400$176,800 | 3,592 |
| Aug 2026 | $81.61$3,264$169,749 | $69.42$2,777$144,394–$86.08$3,443$179,046 | 2,286 |
| Sep 2026 | $51.50$2,060$107,120 | $50.00$2,000$104,000–$53.00$2,120$110,240 | 2 |
| Oct 2026 | $69.75$2,790$145,080 | $54.88$2,195$114,150–$84.63$3,385$176,030 | 2 |
Labor & Delivery Nurse pay across every state with live data.
Showing all 49 states with live data. Bars scale to the highest-paying state.
The metros writing the biggest Labor & Delivery Nurse paychecks.
| City | State | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| princeton | WV · WEST VIRGINIA | $112.00$4,480$232,960 | $105.43$4,217$219,294–$113.15$4,526$235,352 | 26 |
| burlington | VT · VERMONT | $98.00$3,920$203,840 | $93.06$3,722$193,565–$99.19$3,968$206,315 | 25 |
| laramie | WY · WYOMING | $93.28$3,731$194,022 | $89.64$3,586$186,451–$95.08$3,803$197,766 | 40 |
| moreno valley | CA · CALIFORNIA | $92.97$3,719$193,378 | $87.24$3,490$181,459–$93.39$3,736$194,251 | 23 |
| san leandro | CA · CALIFORNIA | $92.79$3,712$193,003 | $88.83$3,553$184,766–$95.93$3,837$199,534 | 42 |
CITY PAY DATA
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Where the top of the market is paying for Labor & Delivery Nurse.
| Employer | Median /hr/wk/yr | Range | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| acuity healthcare staffing llc | $90.28$3,611$187,782 | $65.63$2,625$136,510–$94.44$3,778$196,435 | 6 |
| express healthcare staffing colorado | $91.67$3,667$190,674 | $83.61$3,344$173,909–$105.22$4,209$218,858 | 11 |
| express healthcare staffing travel | $90.56$3,622$188,365 | $73.33$2,933$152,526–$107.69$4,308$223,995 | 23 |
| flexstaff | $95.48$3,819$198,598 | $80.13$3,205$166,670–$100.64$4,026$209,331 | 9 |
| kaiser permanente | $98.18$3,927$204,214 | $57.85$2,314$120,328–$123.82$4,953$257,546 | 10 |
| medlivo | $97.50$3,900$202,800 | $82.00$3,280$170,560–$108.78$4,351$226,262 | 29 |
| nd global consulting services | $91.71$3,668$190,757 | $81.58$3,263$169,686–$93.81$3,752$195,125 | 8 |
| theraex staffing services | $99.83$3,993$207,646 | $77.81$3,112$161,845–$102.33$4,093$212,846 | 19 |
| trinity health firstchoice | $92.44$3,698$192,275 | $81.00$3,240$168,480–$116.25$4,650$241,800 | 8 |
| wcs healthcare partners | $93.29$3,732$194,043 | $81.28$3,251$169,062–$138.00$5,520$287,040 | 12 |
Showing all 10 employers with live pay data.
How Labor & Delivery Nurse pay shifts by schedule and contract type.
Staff Position pays the most at $98.18/hr$3,927/wk$204,214/yr median — 123% above Fulltime at $44.00/hr$1,760/wk$91,520/yr. Travel Contract drives the volume with 8,202 active postings.
How to become a Labor & Delivery Nurse.
Labor and Delivery nurses provide specialized care for mothers and newborns during labor, childbirth, and the immediate postpartum period.
Most L&D nurses start with a BSN, gain 1-2 years of nursing experience (often med-surg, postpartum, or mother-baby), then transition to L&D through hospital training programs.
| Degree | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree in NursingADN | 2-3 years | Entry-level option. Some hospitals accept ADN for L&D with expectation of BSN completion. |
| Bachelor of Science in NursingBSN | 4 years | Preferred by most hospitals with L&D units. Required for magnet hospitals and many Level III NICUs. |
| Master of Science in NursingMSN | 2-3 years post-BSN | Required for Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) or Women's Health Nurse Practitioner roles. |
State RN license required. Must pass NCLEX-RN examination.
CPR certification required for all L&D positions.
Critical certification for L&D. Covers newborn resuscitation at delivery.
Often required for high-risk OB units. Covers maternal cardiac emergencies.
Training in electronic fetal monitoring interpretation. Most L&D units require completion.
| Credential | Issued by | Pay impact |
|---|---|---|
| RNC-OB Inpatient Obstetric Nursing Certification Gold standard certification for L&D nurses. Validates expertise in inpatient obstetric nursing. Requires 2 years and 2,000 hours of specialty experience. | NCC (National Certification Corporation) | +5-12% |
| C-EFM Electronic Fetal Monitoring Certification Demonstrates advanced competence in fetal heart rate monitoring interpretation. | NCC | +3-8% |
| RNC-LRN Low Risk Neonatal Nursing Certification Certification for nurses caring for healthy newborns. Complements RNC-OB. | NCC | +3-5% |
| RNC-MNN Maternal Newborn Nursing Certification Broader certification covering both antepartum/postpartum and normal newborn care. | NCC | +3-8% |
| S.T.A.B.L.E. Sugar, Temperature, Airway, Blood Pressure, Lab Work, Emotional Support Neonatal education program for post-resuscitation stabilization. Commonly required for L&D. | S.T.A.B.L.E. Program | Often required |
- 0-1 yearsL&D Residency / Orientation
Extensive orientation (typically 16-24 weeks). Learning labor support, fetal monitoring, and delivery assistance.
- 1-3 yearsStaff L&D Nurse
Managing laboring patients independently. Typically 1-2 patient assignments during active labor.
- 3-5 yearsSenior L&D Nurse / Preceptor
Mentors new nurses, handles high-risk patients, leads emergency responses. Often RNC-OB certified.
- 5-7 yearsL&D Charge Nurse
Coordinates unit flow, staffing, and resources. First responder for clinical emergencies.
- 7-10 yearsL&D Educator / Clinical Coordinator
Focuses on staff education, simulation training, and quality improvement. MSN often preferred.
- 10+ yearsL&D Manager / Director of Women's Services
Oversees L&D, postpartum, and sometimes NICU operations. MSN/MBA typically required.
- Requires MSN/DNPCertified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
Advanced practice role managing low-risk pregnancies and births independently.
Schedule. Primarily 12-hour shifts. L&D operates 24/7 with day, night, weekend, and holiday coverage. Deliveries are unpredictable - flexibility required.
Physical demands. Moderately demanding. Long hours on feet, supporting laboring patients, and responding quickly to emergencies. Emotionally rewarding but can be stressful with adverse outcomes.
L&D nursing has steady demand driven by birth rates. Experienced L&D nurses are highly valued. Travel L&D positions pay $2,200-3,500+/week.
What clinicians ask about Labor & Delivery Nurse pay.
What is the average Labor & Delivery Nurse salary in 2026?
The median Labor & Delivery Nurse salary is $80.69/hr (approximately $167,835/yr) based on 9,819 active job postings.
What is the pay range for Labor & Delivery Nurse?
Hourly pay ranges from $68.00 at the 25th percentile to $85.00 at the 75th percentile, with the top 10% earning above $90.39/hr.
Which state pays Labor & Delivery Nurse roles the most?
West Virginia currently leads with a median of $109.34/hr across 30 postings.
How many employers are hiring Labor & Delivery Nurses?
Our dataset shows 187 unique employers posting Labor & Delivery Nurse roles across 53 states.
Where does TrueRounds get Labor & Delivery Nurse salary data?
All salary figures are computed from active US healthcare job postings with listed pay ranges, collected over a rolling 6-month window and weighted by posting volume.
Explore other Registered Nurse (RN) tracks.
Labor & Delivery Nurse sits inside the Women's Health Nurse track. Here are sibling tracks across Registered Nurse (RN) — same category, different clinical focus and pay envelope.
Active US healthcare postings. Weighted by volume. Refreshed daily.
Pay benchmarks are computed from active job postings with listed pay ranges, collected on a rolling 6-month window. Each role's percentiles are weighted by posting volume so a metro with two postings doesn't outweigh a metro with two hundred. Outliers (postings priced more than 4× the role median) are dropped to avoid contract-line distortion.
Use the data, then push back.
Bring these numbers into your next contract conversation. Recruiters know what the market pays — now you do too.