New Mexico minimum wage: $12.00 an hour
Checked November 9, 2026Source: New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, Labor Relations Division
Some cities and counties in New Mexico require more. See city and county rates
Short answer
New Mexico’s minimum wage is $12.00 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2023, according to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, Labor Relations Division.
Employers may pay tipped employees $3.00 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $12.00.
Some New Mexico cities and counties require more: Las Cruces $13.01 an hour, Santa Fe $15.40 and Santa Fe County $15.40.
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- Minimum wage today
- $12.00
- Tipped employees, cash wage
- $3.00
- Full-time year at today’s rate (2,080 hours)
- $24,960
Cities and counties can require more. Albuquerque, Las Cruces, the City of Santa Fe and Santa Fe County have their own minimum wage ordinances that can exceed the state rate; check the local rate.
City and county rates in New Mexico
Read from each government source on November 8, 2026. Where a place sets different rates by employer, each gets its own line.
| Place | Rate now | Next rate and date | Who it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlbuquerqueStandard | $12.00 | $13.00on January 1, 2027 | Employers required to have a City of Albuquerque business license or registration, and the City; employees who work at least two hours in a given week within city limits. Interns for academic credit, work-study students and those excluded under state law are not covered.From January 1, 2027, employers paying these benefits may pay $1.00 less than the Albuquerque minimum wage.Source: City of Albuquerque |
| AlbuquerqueEmployer pays health care or child care benefits of at least $2,500 a year | $12.00 | Not posted yet | |
| Las Cruces | $13.01 | $13.47on January 1, 2027 | Work in the City of Las Cruces.Sources: City of Las Cruces, City of Las Cruces |
| Santa Fe | $15.40 | $17.50on January 1, 2027 | All employers within Santa Fe city limits.Source: City of Santa Fe |
| Santa Fe County | $15.40 | Not posted yet | Businesses in unincorporated Santa Fe County, outside the City of Santa Fe, City of Espanola and Town of Edgewood, that need a county business license; county government, contractors and economic development project participants.Source: Santa Fe County |
New Mexico minimum wage by date
Other New Mexico rates
Secondary school students
Students regularly enrolled in secondary school working after school hours or when school is not in session (state law section 50-4-22(B)).
Today: $8.50
Other New Mexico pay rules
- Paydays
- At least twice a month: pay for the 1st to the 15th by the 25th, and for the rest of the month by the 10th of the next month. Exempt executive, administrative, professional and outside sales employees may be paid monthly. Employers whose payroll is run from a central location outside New Mexico have until the last day of the month and the 15th of the next month. Task, piece or commission workers with a written agreement made at hire may be paid monthly, by the 10th of the next month.
- Overtime
- State law matches the federal rule: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek.
- Final paycheck
- Fired: Within 5 days of the discharge (10 days for task, piece or commission pay). Quit: By the next regular payday.
From the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables. All New Mexico employer rules.
Minimum wage in states next to New Mexico
If you hire across a state line, the worker’s state sets the rate.
Questions employers ask
What is the minimum wage in New Mexico in 2026?
New Mexico’s minimum wage is $12.00 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2023, according to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, Labor Relations Division.
What is the tipped minimum wage in New Mexico?
Employers may pay tipped employees $3.00 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $12.00.
When does the New Mexico minimum wage go up next?
No increase is scheduled under current New Mexico law. Any change would need new legislation or a ballot measure.
Do cities in New Mexico have a higher minimum wage?
Yes. Albuquerque, Las Cruces, the City of Santa Fe and Santa Fe County have their own minimum wage ordinances that can exceed the state rate; check the local rate. Today’s local rates: Las Cruces $13.01 an hour, Santa Fe $15.40 and Santa Fe County $15.40.
Does New Mexico require overtime pay?
State law matches the federal rule: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek.
Compare every state’s minimum wage · Everything employers in New Mexico must do
Sources
- New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, Labor Relations Division
- New Mexico Minimum Wage Act, NMSA 1978 section 50-4-22(B), New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (read Nov 9, 2026)
- Senate Bill 437 (2019), enacted text amending NMSA 50-4-22, New Mexico Legislature (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees (revised November 5, 2026), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 8, 2026)
- State Minimum Wage Laws (updated November 5, 2026), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Code of Ordinances Sec. 13-12-2 and 13-12-3 (as amended by Ord. 2026-018), City of Albuquerque (American Legal Publishing) (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Albuquerque Minimum Wage Information, City of Albuquerque Legal Department (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Notice Regarding 2027 Minimum Wage Rate (PDF), City of Albuquerque (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Minimum Wage Notice for 2026, City of Las Cruces (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Minimum Wage Notice for 2027, City of Las Cruces (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Living Wage in the City of Santa Fe, City of Santa Fe (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Living Wage Ordinance, Santa Fe County (read Nov 8, 2026)