Average Salaries in Las Cruces, NM
Explore salaries across 275 occupations in Las Cruces, NM. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $62.8K, -4.5% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 275 occupations and 72,450 total jobs in Las Cruces, NM.
How the metro compares
Wages in Las Cruces, NM track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
Las Cruces, NM is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Physicians, All Other. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Las Cruces, NM
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Las Cruces, NM
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $387.5K | 170 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $228K | 100 |
| Dentists, General | $207K | 80 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $171K | 40 |
| Physician Assistants | $141.4K | 100 |
| Aerospace Engineers | $136.9K | 70 |
| Pharmacists | $135.9K | 120 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $132K | 210 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $128.4K | 100 |
| Veterinarians | $124.6K | 40 |
Largest occupations in Las Cruces, NM
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 6,430 | $27.8K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,870 | $27.6K |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 2,360 | $41K |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,110 | $30.5K |
| Cashiers | 1,630 | $28.7K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,480 | $36.1K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,370 | $32.3K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,340 | $35.4K |
| Registered Nurses | 1,280 | $83.3K |
| General And Operations Managers | 1,260 | $85.8K |
What Las Cruces, NM specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Las Cruces, NM than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Las Cruces, NM
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Inspectors | 9.77 | $52.5K |
| Detectives And Criminal Investigators | 9.57 | $106.3K |
| Soil And Plant Scientists | 6.68 | $76.4K |
| Paving, Surfacing, And Tamping Equipment Operators | 4.69 | $45.5K |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | 4.30 | $114.6K |
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 4.18 | $26.5K |
| Computer And Information Research Scientists | 4.13 | $115.6K |
| Electrical And Electronic Engineering Technologists And Technicians | 3.76 | $85.8K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Farming, Fishing, And Forestry Workers | 3.67 | $52K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Correctional Officers | 3.52 | $72.9K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Las Cruces, NM
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.