StateRates

Albuquerque salaries

The median worker in the Albuquerque, NM metro area earned $46,940 a year in 2024, about $22.57 an hour. That ranks #187 of the 391 metro areas published here, 5.2% below the national median.

New Mexico

Median pay $46,940 $22.57 per hour
Vs national -5.2% U.S. $49,500
Workers 401,280 wage and salary
Metro rank #187 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Albuquerque pays 2.3% more than New Mexico as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Housing here moved -1.7% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +33.7% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in Albuquerque.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Engineers, All Other 2.75× 1,080 $143,050
Electrical Engineers 2.59× 1,270 $143,850
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer 2.48× 610 $143,660
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 2.4× 10,860 $45,100
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators 2.38× 790 $46,680
Tire Repairers and Changers 2.3× 640 $31,350
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 2.25× 1,340 $171,090
Detectives and Criminal Investigators 2.22× 640 $48,040
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians 2.14× 520 $87,860
Information Security Analysts 2.08× 970 $136,290
Roofers 2.04× 720 $44,610
Computer Network Support Specialists 1.93× 740 $64,990

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Albuquerque
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Computer and Information Research Scientists $180,520 $86.79 270
Physicists $175,160 $84.21 360
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $171,090 n/a 1,340
Chief Executives $162,050 $77.91 210
Dentists, General $156,110 $75.05 300
Electrical Engineers $143,850 $69.16 1,270
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $143,660 $69.07 610
Engineers, All Other $143,050 $68.78 1,080
Computer and Information Systems Managers $142,240 $68.39 730
Aerospace Engineers $139,610 $67.12 320
Nurse Practitioners $138,440 $66.56 1,000
Pharmacists $137,530 $66.12 1,010
Information Security Analysts $136,290 $65.52 970
Physician Assistants $135,020 $64.91 360
Managers, All Other $131,030 $62.99 1,640
Financial Managers $127,420 $61.26 1,340
Medical and Health Services Managers $126,230 $60.69 1,470
Industrial Engineers $125,480 $60.33 580
Software Developers $125,450 $60.31 2,830
Natural Sciences Managers $121,910 $58.61 210
Human Resources Managers $121,380 $58.36 350
Marketing Managers $118,320 $56.89 400
Computer Network Architects $113,070 $54.36 420
Lawyers $111,240 $53.48 1,950
Sales Managers $109,420 $52.61 720
Industrial Production Managers $109,160 $52.48 240
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $106,150 $51.04 380
Computer Occupations, All Other $105,440 $50.69 550
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $105,320 $50.64 210
Civil Engineers $104,820 $50.39 630
Speech-Language Pathologists $104,600 $50.29 510
Environmental Engineers $104,410 $50.20 270
Project Management Specialists $103,090 $49.56 2,630
Occupational Therapists $102,310 $49.19 460
Physical Therapists $100,790 $48.46 680
Construction Managers $100,510 $48.32 900
General and Operations Managers $100,350 $48.25 7,580
Protective Service Workers, All Other $100,210 $48.18 390
School Psychologists $99,150 $47.67 280
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $98,490 n/a 760
Dental Hygienists $96,360 $46.33 720
Computer Systems Analysts $95,640 $45.98 1,480
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $94,870 $45.61 300
Database Administrators $94,850 $45.60 290
Logisticians $94,830 $45.59 410
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $92,850 $44.64 480
Budget Analysts $90,790 $43.65 270
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $90,130 $43.33 590
Management Analysts $89,680 $43.11 2,010
Registered Nurses $89,590 $43.07 9,890
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians $89,140 $42.85 220
Electrical and Electronics Drafters $88,790 $42.69 270
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians $87,860 $42.24 520
Statisticians $86,310 $41.50 270
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $86,300 $41.49 560
Data Scientists $85,690 $41.20 320
Financial and Investment Analysts $83,290 $40.04 610
Computer Programmers $82,210 $39.53 300
Financial Specialists, All Other $80,640 $38.77 440
Personal Financial Advisors $80,220 $38.57 320

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Albuquerque by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 16,400 $28,230 $13.57
Fast Food and Counter Workers 12,360 $29,170 $14.02
Retail Salespersons 11,130 $31,730 $15.25
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 10,860 $45,100 $21.68
Customer Service Representatives 10,650 $39,470 $18.98
Registered Nurses 9,890 $89,590 $43.07
Stockers and Order Fillers 7,950 $36,300 $17.45
Cashiers 7,900 $29,570 $14.21
General and Operations Managers 7,580 $100,350 $48.25
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 6,930 $32,890 $15.81
Waiters and Waitresses 6,040 $31,490 $15.14
Office Clerks, General 5,960 $36,860 $17.72
Security Guards 4,580 $38,620 $18.57
Construction Laborers 4,430 $40,800 $19.62
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 4,400 $37,480 $18.02
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 4,090 $62,540 $30.07
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 4,010 $50,650 $24.35
Cooks, Restaurant 3,930 $34,360 $16.52
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 3,920 $80,080 $38.50
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 3,770 $47,740 $22.95

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other New Mexico metro areas

Albuquerque pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Albuquerque?

The median across all occupations is $46,940, or $22.57 an hour, covering 401,280 wage and salary workers. The mean is $62,750, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Albuquerque pay more than the rest of New Mexico?

Yes. The metro median of $46,940 is 2.3% above the New Mexico median of $45,870. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Albuquerque?

Computer and Information Research Scientists ($180,520), Physicists ($175,160), Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary ($171,090). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Albuquerque unusually full of?

Engineers, All Other, at 2.75× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.