State salary profile · New Mexico

New Mexico Salaries

Largest New Mexico OEWS employment footprints with published wages, from BLS May 2025. Published local OEWS areas include Albuquerque, NM, Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Farmington, NM, Las Cruces, NM, Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Santa Fe, NM.

$169,462
Mean of top 50 medians
633
Occupations
6
Local wage areas
52,200
Estimated jobs (top tier)

The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in New Mexico is $169,462.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 633 occupations in New Mexico; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Emergency Medicine Physicians, earns $405,130, versus $25,720 for Manicurists and Pedicurists at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 4 metro areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas. Published local OEWS areas include Albuquerque, NM, Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Farmington, NM, Las Cruces, NM, Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Santa Fe, NM.

New Mexico · employment ≠ wage

In New Mexico, Home Health and Personal Care Aides lead by published employment (38,910 jobs, #1 of 611) but rank #608 of 611 on median wage ($28,520), while Emergency Medicine Physicians top the wage list at $405,130 (#1 of 611) with 340 jobs (#335 of 611). The largest payroll is not the highest published median.

38,910
Home Health and Personal C... employment #1
$405,130
Emergency Medicine Physici... wage #1
#335
Employment rank of wage leader
#608
Wage rank of employment leader

Employment is OEWS tot_emp inside this state; pay is the occupation median. Same detailed-occupation pool, two rankings.

Employment of New Mexico's #1 occupations by headcount vs median wage

Same unit (published jobs) for both named leaders. BLS OEWS May 2025.

jobs

What this shows Home Health and Personal Care Aides lead New Mexico by employment; Emergency Medicine Physicians lead on median wage at $405,130.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

New Mexico, the picture in one line

New Mexico ranks #33 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Emergency Medicine Physicians at $405,130. Published local OEWS areas include Albuquerque, NM, Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Farmington, NM, Las Cruces, NM, Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Santa Fe, NM.

#33
of 54 states by published mean wage
$405,130
top-paying: Emergency Medicine Physicians
39th
percentile among all states
Albuquerque, NM
local OEWS: Albuquerque, NM and Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area

The state rank uses BLS's All Occupations mean. Occupation rows below use occupation-specific medians; the two statistics are not interchangeable. Start local checks in Albuquerque, NM.

Largest published OEWS footprints in New Mexico

Computer Hardware Engineers and Software Developers lead New Mexico's published employment inside this top-pay sample, order follows OEWS job counts, not median wage.

  1. 1. Computer Hardware Engineers 5,260 jobs · $165,350
  2. 2. Software Developers 3,960 jobs · $124,520
  3. 3. Managers, All Other 3,770 jobs · $123,550
  4. 4. Medical and Health Services Managers 3,150 jobs · $124,300
  5. 5. Mechanical Engineers 2,710 jobs · $157,710
  6. 6. Electrical Engineers 2,560 jobs · $158,520
  7. 7. Financial Managers 2,530 jobs · $133,700
  8. 8. Information Security Analysts 2,470 jobs · $130,070
  9. 9. Architectural and Engineering Managers 2,270 jobs · $215,120
  10. 10. Engineers, All Other 2,190 jobs · $162,070
  11. 11. Physicians, All Other 1,930 jobs · $327,670
  12. 12. Nurse Practitioners 1,770 jobs · $137,520
  13. 13. Pharmacists 1,730 jobs · $147,000
  14. 14. Computer Occupations, All Other 1,650 jobs · $127,090
  15. 15. Computer and Information Systems Managers 1,500 jobs · $137,730
  16. 16. Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 1,430 jobs · $134,600
  17. 17. Industrial Engineers 1,140 jobs · $128,090
  18. 18. Electronics Engineers, Except Computer 1,110 jobs · $136,990
  19. 19. Dentists, General 780 jobs · $155,260
  20. 20. Physician Assistants 700 jobs · $139,920

Local BLS wage areas inside New Mexico

Published local OEWS areas include Albuquerque, NM, Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Farmington, NM, Las Cruces, NM, Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Santa Fe, NM.

Albuquerque, NM Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area Farmington, NM Las Cruces, NM Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area Santa Fe, NM

Observed statewide pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025

May 2024 → May 2025
  • BLS's published All Occupations median in New Mexico moved from $45,870 in May 2024 to $47,210 in May 2025 (+2.9%).
  • Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
  • New Mexico sits +0.2 pp near that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Home Health and Personal Care Aides shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in New Mexico

Home Health and Personal Care Aides publishes $28,520 here versus $35,800 nationally (-20.3%; 38,910statewide jobs). Next is Construction Laborers at $38,400 locally versus $47,120 nationally (-18.5%).

  1. Home Health and Personal Care Aides$28,520 in New Mexico sits 20.3% below the national Home Health and Personal Care Aides median of $35,800 (38,910 published local jobs).
  2. Construction Laborers$38,400 in New Mexico sits 18.5% below the national Construction Laborers median of $47,120 (12,470 published local jobs).
  3. Office Clerks, General$37,130 in New Mexico sits 17.5% below the national Office Clerks, General median of $45,010 (11,880 published local jobs).
  4. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$74,550 in New Mexico sits 16.5% above the national Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education median of $63,970 (6,210 published local jobs).

Home Health and Personal Care Aides and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for New Mexico; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.

· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

The New Mexico OEWS table has a published median for 633 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 52,200; that sum does not include the bottom table or rows whose employment is suppressed. BLS publishes means and percentile boundaries only where the corresponding estimate meets its publication standards. Averaging the medians of the top 50 highest-paying occupations gives $169,462 per year. That is only a mean of the displayed upper-tier occupation medians; it is not the BLS All Occupations mean or median and does not describe a typical worker. Published local OEWS areas include Albuquerque, NM, Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Farmington, NM, Las Cruces, NM, Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Santa Fe, NM. Local OEWS areas in this extract include Albuquerque, NM, Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Farmington, NM, Las Cruces, NM, Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Santa Fe, NM.

At the top of the ranking, Emergency Medicine Physicians pays a New Mexico median of $405,130, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Anesthesiologists at $393,970, followed by Surgeons, All Other at $363,940. At the bottom of the published range, Manicurists and Pedicurists has a median of $25,720, making the displayed endpoint ratio 15.8×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 4 metro areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to New Mexico, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.

The employment-ordered lead of Computer Hardware Engineers / Software Developers is the New Mexico mix signal in this sample; the salary-ordered top of Emergency Medicine Physicians answers a different question. Neither row identifies why pay differs, open the occupation page for percentiles and local-area cells BLS actually releases.

Top-Tier Sample

75

occupations shown below

Avg. Median Salary

$169,462

top 50 occupations

Top Salary

$405,130

Emergency Medicine Physicians

Where New Mexico ranks by published mean wage

BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes Albuquerque, NM and Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Farmington, NM

$62,330 Bottom 39% higher than 39% of 54 states & territories

$0–$5,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Below this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Below this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 16 states & territories (30%). This entry sits in this band. $65,000–$70,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 states & territories (7%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. This state $0 $115,000 every state & territory, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$5,000 0 states & territories 0%
$5,000–$10,000 0 states & territories 0%
$10,000–$15,000 0 states & territories 0%
$15,000–$20,000 0 states & territories 0%
$20,000–$25,000 0 states & territories 0%
$25,000–$30,000 0 states & territories 0%
$30,000–$35,000 0 states & territories 0%
$35,000–$40,000 1 states & territories 2%
$40,000–$45,000 0 states & territories 0%
$45,000–$50,000 1 states & territories 2%
$50,000–$55,000 3 states & territories 6%
$55,000–$60,000 8 states & territories 15%
$60,000–$65,000 (this entry) 16 states & territories 30%
$65,000–$70,000 8 states & territories 15%
$70,000–$75,000 8 states & territories 15%
$75,000–$80,000 4 states & territories 7%
$80,000–$85,000 3 states & territories 6%
$85,000–$90,000 1 states & territories 2%
$90,000–$95,000 0 states & territories 0%
$95,000–$100,000 0 states & territories 0%
$100,000–$105,000 0 states & territories 0%
$105,000–$110,000 0 states & territories 0%
$110,000–$115,000 1 states & territories 2%

$62,330 · 39th percentile of 54 states & territories

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

New Mexico ranks #33 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($62,330). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.

National-price-equivalent mean: dividing the $62,330 BLS All Occupations mean by the BEA state RPP gives $67,603. Inputs: BEA Regional Price Parity for New Mexico (RPP 92.2, 2024; 100 = national average, all items, table SARPP). The division is a WageDex calculation, not an after-tax or household-income measure.

Largest OEWS footprints in New Mexico

Published employment among the top-pay sample, top 15 by jobs

jobs
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

BLS publishes wage data for 633 distinct occupations in New Mexico. The table below shows the top 50 by median annual wage, reordered by published employment for this reading. Drill into the full top-100 ranking or the fastest-growing list for deeper coverage.

Top-pay occupations in New Mexico, by employment

View all 100 →

Same top-pay sample as the salary ranking, sorted by published New Mexico jobs so the title sequence follows the local OEWS mix.

# Occupation Median Salary
1 Computer Hardware Engineers $165,350
2 Software Developers $124,520
3 Managers, All Other $123,550
4 Medical and Health Services Managers $124,300
5 Mechanical Engineers $157,710
6 Electrical Engineers $158,520
7 Financial Managers $133,700
8 Information Security Analysts $130,070
9 Architectural and Engineering Managers $215,120
10 Engineers, All Other $162,070
11 Physicians, All Other $327,670
12 Nurse Practitioners $137,520
13 Pharmacists $147,000
14 Computer Occupations, All Other $127,090
15 Computer and Information Systems Managers $137,730
16 Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $134,600
17 Industrial Engineers $128,090
18 Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $136,990
19 Dentists, General $155,260
20 Physician Assistants $139,920
21 Industrial Production Managers $124,670
22 Family Medicine Physicians $228,040
23 Physicists $165,340
24 Aerospace Engineers $132,850
25 Nuclear Engineers $164,300
26 Computer and Information Research Scientists $165,690
27 Veterinarians $129,390
28 Materials Engineers $165,600
29 Air Traffic Controllers $148,550
30 Emergency Medicine Physicians $405,130
31 Chemists $126,960
32 Pediatricians, General $202,390
33 Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $205,400
34 Purchasing Managers $134,790
35 Physical Scientists, All Other $123,820
36 Training and Development Managers $124,290
37 Emergency Management Directors $145,550
38 Chemical Engineers $158,190
39 Surgeons, All Other $363,940
40 Optometrists $144,660
41 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $259,990
42 Chief Executives $123,500
43 Podiatrists $202,690
44 Anesthesiologists $393,970
45 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $136,990
46 Nurse Midwives $123,350
47 Compensation and Benefits Managers $124,390
48 Psychiatrists $227,730
49 Nurse Anesthetists $129,370
50 Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $124,800

Lowest Paying Jobs in New Mexico

Occupation Median Salary
Manicurists and Pedicurists $25,720
Packers and Packagers, Hand $28,070
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $28,230
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $28,480
Home Health and Personal Care Aides $28,520
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $28,590
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand $28,640
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians $28,700
Fast Food and Counter Workers $28,700
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials $28,730
Demonstrators and Product Promoters $29,110
Amusement and Recreation Attendants $29,160
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks $29,300
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $29,360
Print Binding and Finishing Workers $29,380
Driver/Sales Workers $29,770
Baggage Porters and Bellhops $29,890
Cashiers $30,120
Cooks, Fast Food $30,190
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment $30,310
Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products $30,480
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $30,480
Dishwashers $30,520
Parking Attendants $30,530
Slaughterers and Meat Packers $30,560

Fastest Growing Jobs

View all 50 →

See national growth projections alongside the published OEWS state employment estimates for each occupation in New Mexico. Based on BLS employment projections 2024-2034.

Metro and Nonmetropolitan Wage Areas in New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area Farmington, NM Las Cruces, NM Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area Santa Fe, NM

Salary Guides

Best States for Salaries

Which states pay the most and why

Salary vs. Cost of Living

Compare local wage and price-level benchmarks

Fastest Growing Occupations

Where the job growth is heading

Nationwide states with similar All Occupations pay or employment scale

Two BLS OEWS peer sets outside New Mexico. Local metro cards below stay inside this state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors on published All Occupations mean wage ($62,330 here) and reported employment (870,970 jobs here).

Similar mean wage

Nearest other states by BLS All Occupations annual mean wage.

Similar employment scale

Nearest headcount peers (floor 250,000 All Occupations jobs), distinct from the mean-wage column.

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS All Occupations mean annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the mean-wage column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Local OEWS areas and related New Mexico pages

Published local OEWS areas include Albuquerque, NM, Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Farmington, NM, Las Cruces, NM, Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Santa Fe, NM.

Albuquerque, NM

Local OEWS wage area

Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Farmington, NM

Local OEWS wage area

Las Cruces, NM

Local OEWS wage area

Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Santa Fe, NM

Local OEWS wage area

Highest Paying in New Mexico

Top 100 by median salary

Fastest Growing in New Mexico

Projected 2024-2034 growth

Emergency Medicine Physicians

National occupation profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in New Mexico? ▼
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians is $169,462/year (BLS OEWS May 2025). It is not the statewide mean or median and does not describe the wage of a typical worker.
What is the average salary in New Mexico? ▼
BLS publishes an All Occupations annual mean wage of $62,330/year for New Mexico in the May 2025 OEWS release, which ranks 33rd among the 54 states and territories with a published mean. Published local OEWS areas include Albuquerque, NM, Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Farmington, NM, Las Cruces, NM, Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Santa Fe, NM. This is an occupational wage estimate, not a household-income statistic or a prediction for one worker.
What is the highest paying job in New Mexico? ▼
The highest paying occupation in New Mexico is Emergency Medicine Physicians with a median salary of $405,130/year according to BLS data. The second highest is Anesthesiologists at $393,970/year.
What jobs pay the least in New Mexico? ▼
The lowest published occupation median in this New Mexico ranking is Manicurists and Pedicurists at $25,720/year. The table does not classify that occupation as entry-level or explain why its median is lowest.
How many local BLS wage areas are shown for New Mexico? ▼
WageDex has occupation-level wage rows for 4 metro areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to New Mexico. Published local OEWS areas include Albuquerque, NM, Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Farmington, NM, Las Cruces, NM, Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Santa Fe, NM. Nonmetropolitan reporting areas are not MSAs. Compare the same occupation and statistic across areas; published coverage can differ by occupation and geography.
How many occupations are shown for New Mexico? ▼
BLS publishes wage data for 633 distinct occupations in New Mexico. The 50 occupations in the displayed upper tier have a combined OEWS employment estimate of approximately 52,200 jobs in covered establishments.

Federal sources behind New Mexico wages

BLS OEWS state wage tables → BLS QCEW state series → BLS LAUS unemployment → BEA personal income by state →

What to do with this data

How to use New Mexico wage data in a real decision

  • Computer Hardware Engineers anchors the largest published OEWS footprint in New Mexico, ahead of Software Developers; hold that mix next to Albuquerque, NM and Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area when the pay table alone does not describe the local mix. Computer Hardware Engineers
  • Inside New Mexico, re-check Emergency Medicine Physicians in Albuquerque, NM, Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area, Farmington, NM, Las Cruces, NM or Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area before treating the statewide median as a metro offer. Albuquerque, NM
  • Open Emergency Medicine Physicians for percentile bands and local-area rows; New Mexico's statewide median of $405,130 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Emergency Medicine Physicians
  • The published New Mexico range runs from Manicurists and Pedicurists at $25,720 to Emergency Medicine Physicians at $405,130; an offer still depends on the exact role and employer. Salary calculator

BLS OEWS estimates reflect the May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Last updated: May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

State-level employment totals and local-area breakouts from BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025. Local areas can be metropolitan or nonmetropolitan.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. State wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Statewide figures are estimates and may not reflect pay in your specific local wage area or employer.