Cooks, Fast Food Salary in New Mexico
Cooks, Fast Food in New Mexico have a median of $30,190 a year, below the national $30,890 (−2%); the state ranks 27th of 51 states by median. That is 36% less than the median across all occupations in New Mexico ($47,210). Among neighbouring states, Colorado, Arizona and Utah pay more (up to $36,900 in Colorado) and Texas and Oklahoma pay less (down to $27,720 in Oklahoma). New Mexico employs 1,800 cooks, fast food, 2.06 per 1,000 jobs, the 38th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.50 means it is less common in New Mexico than nationally.
New Mexico vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | $13.40 | $13.82 | $14.52 | $17.00 | $18.05 | $15.39 | 1,800 | 2.06 | 0.50 |
| Annual | $27,860 | $28,740 | $30,190 | $35,370 | $37,550 | $32,010 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $10.86 | $13.11 | $14.85 | $17.92 | $20.63 | $15.57 | 641,070 | – | – |
| Annual | $22,580 | $27,260 | $30,890 | $37,260 | $42,910 | $32,390 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 27th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 38th of 49 states
- Location quotient
- 0.50
- Jobs per 1,000
- 2.06
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of New Mexico's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in New Mexico
4 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching New Mexico publish a row for cooks, fast food, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe, NM | $18.27 | $38,000 | $30,370 | $45,180 | 140 | 2.26 | 0.55 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $14.77 | $30,720 | $28,220 | $37,510 | 570 | 1.41 | 0.34 |
| Farmington, NM | $13.81 | $28,730 | $27,190 | $35,320 | 210 | 4.39 | 1.06 |
| Las Cruces, NM | $13.65 | $28,390 | $27,580 | $38,410 | 180 | 2.20 | 0.53 |
| Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $14.24 | $29,620 | $28,060 | $35,770 | 510 | 3.04 | 0.74 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Cooks, Fast Food (every state ranked) and the New Mexico wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS New Mexico estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.