Average Salary in New Mexico
What workers in New Mexico earn: mean and median wages, monthly and hourly pay, the full wage distribution, household income and cost-of-living context. Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Mean annual wage$62,330Rank #33 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$47,210Rank #42 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$29.96Median $22.70/hour
- Median monthly pay$3,934Mean $5,194/month
- Median household income$67,816ACS 2024 · rank #44
- Price level (RPP)92.2US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in New Mexico?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in New Mexico is $62,330, and the median annual wage is $47,210, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 10.7% below the national mean of $69,770; the median is 7.4% below the national median of $50,980. New Mexico ranks #33 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #42 for median wage.
The mean is $15,120 (32%) higher than the median. That gap is normal: a minority of very high earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical worker in New Mexico earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 870,970 wage and salary jobs in New Mexico (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in New Mexico
Gross pay before taxes. Monthly = annual ÷ 12, bi-weekly = annual ÷ 26, weekly = annual ÷ 52. Hourly figures are published by BLS.
| Pay period | Mean (average) | Median (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | $62,330 | $47,210 |
| Monthly | $5,194 | $3,934 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $2,397 | $1,816 |
| Weekly | $1,199 | $908 |
| Hourly | $29.96 | $22.70 |
Estimate take-home pay on the New Mexico median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in New Mexico?
“Good” depends on your household and where in the state you live, but the wage distribution shows where a salary stands relative to other workers in New Mexico:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $28,760 | $2,397 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $35,260 | $2,938 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $47,210 | $3,934 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $75,030 | $6,252 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $110,070 | $9,172 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $47,210 beats more than half of New Mexico workers, about $75,030 puts you in the top quarter, and $110,070 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in New Mexico
| Measure (ACS 2024) | New Mexico | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,816 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $84,387 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $37,978 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $40,349 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $60,234 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $50,164 | $55,678 |
Household income adds up the income of everyone in a household — often two earners, plus Social Security, investment and self-employment income — so it is higher than any per-worker wage figure. Women working full-time year-round in New Mexico have median earnings equal to 83% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in New Mexico
Prices in New Mexico are about 7.8% below the national average (BEA regional price parity 92.2; housing 73.6). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $47,210 is worth $51,204 at national-average prices (rank #37), and the mean wage is worth $67,603 (rank #29). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
New Mexico taxes wage income, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures above by federal tax, FICA and state income tax.
New Mexico vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $62,330 | $47,210 | 92.2 | $51,204 |
| Arizona | $67,620 | $50,060 | 100.7 | $49,712 |
| Colorado | $77,190 | $59,800 | 103.1 | $58,002 |
| Oklahoma | $56,950 | $45,600 | 87.8 | $51,936 |
| Texas | $65,750 | $48,620 | 97.1 | $50,072 |
Highest-paying occupations in New Mexico
Detailed occupations with at least 300 jobs in the state, ranked by mean annual wage. “$239,200+” means BLS reports only that the wage is at or above that level.
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $360,410 | $405,130 | 340 |
| Physicians, All Other | $318,330 | $327,670 | 1,930 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $238,170 | $228,040 | 650 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $215,540 | $215,120 | 2,270 |
| Dentists, General | $185,010 | $155,260 | 780 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $183,680 | $134,600 | 1,430 |
| Nuclear Engineers | $180,290 | $164,300 | 500 |
| Physicists | $176,680 | $165,340 | 580 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $173,530 | $165,690 | 490 |
| Materials Engineers | $173,000 | $165,600 | 450 |
Most common jobs in New Mexico and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 38,910 | $28,520 | $13.71 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 28,250 | $28,700 | $13.80 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 25,430 | $46,450 | $22.33 |
| Retail Salespersons | 23,800 | $33,300 | $16.01 |
| Cashiers | 19,020 | $30,120 | $14.48 |
| Registered Nurses | 17,980 | $94,340 | $45.36 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 16,950 | $39,030 | $18.77 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 16,540 | $35,830 | $17.22 |
| General and Operations Managers | 16,330 | $98,630 | $47.42 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 14,360 | $36,020 | $17.32 |
The largest occupation in New Mexico is home health and personal care aides, with 38,910 jobs and a median wage of $28,520. Many of the most common jobs pay well below the state median, which is one reason the overall median sits far below the mean.
Salaries for 54 common occupations in New Mexico
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in New Mexico?
The average (mean) annual wage in New Mexico is $62,330, or $29.96 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $47,210 a year ($22.70 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in New Mexico?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in New Mexico works out to about $5,194 per month and the median wage to about $3,934 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in New Mexico?
Earning more than the median of $47,210 puts you above half of all workers in New Mexico. A salary of $75,030 or more is in the top 25%, and $110,070 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in New Mexico?
Median household income in New Mexico was $67,816 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, compared with $81,604 nationally. Household income combines all earners and income sources in a home.
Does New Mexico have a state income tax on wages?
Yes. New Mexico taxes wage income, so state income tax is deducted from paychecks in addition to federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.