Waiters and Waitresses Salary in New Mexico
The median for waiters and waitresses in New Mexico is $36,920 a year, somewhat above the national $35,230 (+5%); the state ranks 16th of 51 states by median. That is 22% less than the median across all occupations in New Mexico ($47,210). Among neighbouring states, Colorado and Arizona pay more (up to $44,860 in Colorado) and Utah, Texas and Oklahoma pay less (down to $17,910 in Oklahoma). New Mexico employs 12,740 waiters and waitresses, 14.6 per 1,000 jobs, the 38th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.00 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 | $12.82 | $13.74 | $17.75 | $27.38 | $33.37 | $20.77 | 12,740 | 14.63 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $26,670 | $28,570 | $36,920 | $56,940 | $69,410 | $43,210 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $8.70 | $13.34 | $16.94 | $22.65 | $31.12 | $19.26 | 2,270,910 | – | – |
| Annual | $18,100 | $27,750 | $35,230 | $47,110 | $64,720 | $40,060 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 16th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 38th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.00
- Jobs per 1,000
- 14.63
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 waiters and waitresses, 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 | $22.42 | $46,640 | $28,900 | $78,210 | 1,680 | 27.28 | 1.87 |
| Las Cruces, NM | $18.59 | $38,670 | $26,490 | $64,750 | 1,190 | 14.86 | 1.02 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $18.29 | $38,050 | $27,650 | $69,370 | 5,880 | 14.52 | 0.99 |
| Farmington, NM | $17.89 | $37,210 | $26,340 | $66,300 | 570 | 11.92 | 0.82 |
| Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $16.25 | $33,800 | $26,430 | $66,850 | 1,010 | 11.96 | 0.82 |
| Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $14.20 | $29,530 | $26,040 | $62,810 | 2,320 | 13.95 | 0.96 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Waiters and Waitresses (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.