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Midwife

Midwives are primary health care providers. They are considered experts in normal pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. They are trained to order and interpret tests and discuss results. They also screen for physical, psychological, emotional, and social health issues. They are trained to refer to medical and other specialists when needed.

NOC Codes

In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.

The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.

Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.

2006 NOC

  • 3232.1: Midwives

2006 NOC-S

  • D232: Midwives and Practitioners of Natural Healing

2011 NOC

  • 3124: Allied primary health practitioners

2016 NOC

  • 3124: Allied primary health practitioners

2021 NOC

  • 31303: Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals

2023 OaSIS

  • 31303.02: Midwives
Duties
Updated Mar 31, 2018

Midwives take care of women and babies for pregnancies and deliveries that are not complicated by concerns that require medical intervention. In general, midwives:

  • counsel individuals and conduct classes (about pregnancy and childbirth, parenthood, family planning, and related topics)
  • educate women (about pregnancy, prenatal health practices, labour, delivery, and the postpartum period) and support them to make their own health care decisions
  • provide emotional support to clients and their families (during pregnancy, labour, birth, and the postpartum period)
  • educate clients about breast feeding, infant care and newborn growth and development
  • examine women during pregnancy and assess their physical and psychological well-being
  • identify potential complications (such as high blood pressure or high blood sugar) during pregnancy and refer clients to other health care providers
  • prescribe medications
  • monitor the condition of the mother and baby during labour
  • assist women during childbirth
  • take emergency measures and arrange for immediate contact with physicians when abnormal conditions arise
  • examine and care for newborn infants
  • maintain records and write reports
  • order lab tests and ultrasounds
  • take part in maternity health care teams in hospitals and community health settings.
Working Conditions
Updated Mar 31, 2018
  • Strength Required Lift up to 20 kg

Midwives provide care in client homes, clinics, hospitals, and birth centres. They may be required to stand, kneel, bend, or squat for long periods of time.

Midwives may be on call 24 hours a day. They may have to work long, unpredictable hours. Some midwives work together and share on-call schedules.

Interests & Abilities

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.

Interest Codes

Interest Codes for This NOC Group
SOCIAL

Interest in analyzing data for the purpose of counselling and educating women concerning diet and pre-natal health practices; and in reassuring patients and providing emotional support during labour and the post-natal period

INNOVATIVE

Interest in operating medical equipment to examine patients and monitor fetuses during labour; and in conducting normal deliveries

DIRECTIVE

Interest in instructing patients on how to care for themselves and their infants; and in providing ongoing advice and support

Your Interest Codes

To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.

Reading Interest Codes
A Quick Guide

The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation. 

It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.

Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.

A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.

A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.

Learn About Interests

Abilities

Typical ability expectations for this NOC group
Your abilities

To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Exercise in CAREERinsite.

Mental Abilities

General Learning Ability

Verbal Ability

Numerical Ability

Visual Abilities

Spatial Perception

Form Perception

Clerical Perception

Physical Abilities

Motor Coordination

Finger Dexterity

Manual Dexterity

Understanding Abilities

A Quick Guide

You are born with abilities that help you process certain types of information and turn it into action. These abilities influence which skills you can learn more easily.

The abilities or aptitudes shown for this NOC group come from the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The GATB measures 9 aptitudes. It groups them into 3 categories: mental, visual, and physical.

The abilities scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being stronger.

Learn About Abilities

Traits & Skills
Updated Mar 31, 2018

Midwives need to possess:

  • a genuine desire to support families in their child-bearing years
  • sound physical, mental, and emotional health
  • manual dexterity
  • flexibility
  • confidence to manage emergency situations
  • the skills to be well organized.

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.

Top 10 Skills Employers Are Looking For

Allied primary health practitioners

2016 NOC: 3124

This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 58 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Nov 30, 2021 and Apr 19, 2024.

Review these skills to learn:

  • Whether or not this occupation matches your skill set
  • What training you may need to get these skills
  • What skills to highlight in your resumé, cover letter, and interview.
Tasks: Advise patients on health care
Tasks: Examine patients and take their medical histories and consult with physicians and other medical practitioners to evaluate patients' physical and mental health
Tasks: Formulate and implement treatment plans and monitor patients' progress
Construction Specialization: Accurate
Construction Specialization: Flexibility
Construction Specialization: Judgement
Certificates, Licences, Memberships, and Courses : Licensure as a Nurse Practitioner by the province/territory of work
Construction Specialization: Team player
Construction Specialization: Dependability
Construction Specialization: Effective interpersonal skills
Educational Requirements
Updated Mar 31, 2018
  • Minimum Education 4 years post-secondary

The College of Midwives of Alberta (CMA) sets all educational requirements for registered midwives, including identifying approved programs or equivalencies.

Registered midwives in Alberta hold a bachelor of midwifery degree. Once registered, all midwives must complete continuing education requirements as set by the CMA. Currently, this includes regular recertification of CPR, obstetrical emergency skills, and neonatal resuscitation.

To learn more about educational requirements, visit the CMA website.


Required Education

The following schools offer programs and courses that meet this occupation’s educational requirements. Other eligible programs and courses may be available.

Mount Royal University

To expand or narrow your search for programs related to this occupation, visit Post-Secondary Programs.

Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.

Additional Information

Midwives are required to have liability insurance. To learn about liability insurance, contact the Alberta Association of Midwives (AAM)

Certification Requirements
Updated Mar 31, 2018
  • Certification Provincially Regulated

Certain professional titles or duties within this occupation are protected by provincial legislation. Requirements vary if you use these titles or perform these duties.

The related legislation is shown below. If there are multiple related legislations, select a certification heading to learn about each one.

Midwife

Midwives provide comprehensive prenatal, labour, birth and postpartum care to clients experiencing normal pregnancy, and provide counselling, education and emotional support related to the clients' physical, psychological and social needs.

Legislation

Midwife is a protected title under Alberta's Health Disciplines Act and Midwifery Regulation. To call yourself a Midwife or practice as a Midwife, you must be registered by the Midwifery Health Disciplines Committee. Registered members provide health services listed in the Regulation.

For information on what you need and other details, visit the certification profile Midwife.

Employment & Advancement
Updated Mar 31, 2018

In Alberta, midwives are self-employed. They have hospital privileges in designated Alberta Health Services facilities across Alberta.

Midwives must have a reliable vehicle and the equipment required to practice midwifery.

Industry Concentration

This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.

In the 3124: Allied primary health practitioners occupational group, 94.6% of people work in:

Employment Outlook

Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

  • Time of year (for seasonal jobs)
  • Location in Alberta
  • Employment turnover (when people leave existing positions)
  • Occupational growth (when new positions are created)
  • Size of the occupation
  • Trends and events that affect overall employment, especially in the industry or industries from the previous list

In Alberta, the 3124: Allied primary health practitioners occupational group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 2.9% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 20 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.

Note
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For example, only some of the new positions to be created will be for this occupation. It also applies to other data for the NOC group such as number of people employed.

Source: 2019-2023 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook

Midwifery is funded by Alberta’s health care system. Employment opportunities are expected to increase as midwifery services become funded in rural areas throughout Alberta.

Related Alberta Job Postings
Wage & Salary
Updated Mar 31, 2018

Earnings vary as midwives are independent practitioners.

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.

Allied primary health practitioners

2016 NOC: 3124
Average Wage
$54.46
Per Hour
Average Salary
$97,452.00
Per Year
Average Hours
34.6
Per Week
Average Months on Payroll
12
Survey Methodology Survey Analysis

Source
2021 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey

NOC 3124 Wage Profile

Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.

All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.

To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.

Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.

B: Good Reliability
Data Reliability Code Definition

Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.


Hourly Wage

For full-time and part-time employees
  • Low
  • High
  • Average
  • Median
Starting
Overall
Top

Hourly Wage

For full-time and part-time employees
Wages* Low (5th percentile) High (95th percentile) Average Median
Starting $41.49 $50.43 $46.84 $48.27
Overall $46.35 $55.62 $54.46 $55.37
Top $49.28 $62.91 $60.62 $62.91

Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.

* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.

Pay brackets for hourly wages

  • Starting pay: average pay offered for entry-level positions
  • Overall pay: average pay across all employees in this occupation
  • Top pay: average pay offered to top-paid employees

Industry Information

ALL INDUSTRIES
Health Care & Social Assistance
Public Administration

Skills Shortage

Employers that Recruited in the Last 2 Years
80%
80%)
Recruiting Employers that Experienced Hiring Difficulties
28%
28%
Employers with Unfilled Vacancies of over 4 Months
0%
0%
Vacancy Rate
N/A
Related Post-Secondary Field of Study
  • Health Care and Medical Sciences
Other Sources of Information
Updated Mar 31, 2018

Alberta Association of Midwives (AAM) website: abmidwives.ca

Canadian Association of Midwives website: canadianmidwives.org

Canadian Midwifery Regulators Consortium website: www.cmrc-ccosf.ca

College of Midwives of Alberta website: www.albertamidwives.org

Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.

Updated Mar 31, 2018. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.

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