Cooks, Restaurant Salary in New Mexico
Cooks, Restaurant in New Mexico have a median of $35,020 a year, below the national $37,390 (−6%); the state ranks 43rd of 51 states by median. That is 26% less than the median across all occupations in New Mexico ($47,210). Among neighbouring states, Colorado, Arizona and Utah pay more (up to $41,600 in Colorado) and Texas and Oklahoma pay less (down to $31,720 in Oklahoma). New Mexico employs 7,810 cooks, restaurant, 8.97 per 1,000 jobs, the 38th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.99 is close to the national share.
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 | $13.51 | $14.53 | $16.84 | $17.94 | $20.87 | $16.86 | 7,810 | 8.97 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $28,100 | $30,220 | $35,020 | $37,320 | $43,400 | $35,070 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.80 | $16.35 | $17.98 | $21.45 | $23.03 | $18.62 | 1,409,890 | – | – |
| Annual | $28,700 | $34,010 | $37,390 | $44,620 | $47,900 | $38,730 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 43rd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 38th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.99
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.97
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 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching New Mexico publish a row for cooks, restaurant, 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 | $17.91 | $37,250 | $30,580 | $45,720 | 1,100 | 17.76 | 1.96 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $16.92 | $35,190 | $29,610 | $43,250 | 3,390 | 8.37 | 0.92 |
| Farmington, NM | $16.61 | $34,540 | $28,850 | $40,240 | 370 | 7.76 | 0.86 |
| Las Cruces, NM | $14.90 | $30,980 | $27,610 | $38,750 | 730 | 9.11 | 1.00 |
| Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $16.92 | $35,190 | $27,320 | $42,510 | 720 | 8.54 | 0.94 |
| Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $15.06 | $31,330 | $27,050 | $38,920 | 1,500 | 9.01 | 0.99 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (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.