Skilled Wages

Carpenter salary in New Mexico

Median $28.71 an hour for 3,630 carpenters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$28.71/hrMedian hourly wageNew Mexico, May data
$59,720/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$19.28 – $37.4010th to 90th percentilehourly range
3,630Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Carpenter pay in New Mexico: the full range

Wage percentiles, New MexicoMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrNew Mexico: 10th $19.28 · 25th $22.67 · median $28.71 · 75th $30.44 · 90th $37.40New Mexico$28.71$19.28$37.40United States: 10th $19.43 · 25th $23.32 · median $29.12 · 75th $36.94 · 90th $48.03United States$29.12
Hourly wage percentiles for carpenters: New Mexico vs United States, May 2025.

New Mexico ranks 25th of 51 states for median carpenter pay, and 15th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $31.14). 3,630 carpenters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$19.28 – $22.67$40,100 – $47,150roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$22.67 – $30.44$47,150 – $63,310the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$30.44 – $37.40$63,310 – $77,790the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Carpenter pay by metro in New Mexico

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrAlbuquerque: $28.89Albuquerque$28.89Farmington: $28.71Farmington$28.71Santa Fe: $28.57Santa Fe$28.57Las Cruces: $27.42Las Cruces$27.42
Median hourly wage for carpenters by metro area in New Mexico, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Albuquerque$20.00$28.89$38.201,9401% above
Farmington$20.40$28.71$34.55390about the same as
Santa Fe$21.79$28.57$40.89210about the same as
Las Cruces$17.60$27.42$34.092504% below

Carpenter wages in New Mexico over time

New Mexico, 1999-2025New MexicoUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$29.12United States$28.71New Mexico
Median hourly wage for carpenters, New Mexico vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNew Mexico $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$12.50$24.16$15.356,300
2000$13.47$25.18$15.695,750
2001$13.86$25.20$16.095,530
2002$14.38$25.73$16.445,440
2003$15.19$26.58$16.475,300
2004$12.94$22.05$16.785,730
2005$13.24$21.83$17.117,410
2006$13.79$22.02$17.577,480
2007$14.96$23.23$18.116,390
2008$15.05$22.50$18.725,750
2009$16.11$24.18$18.984,740
2010$16.87$24.91$19.004,290
2011$17.86$25.56$19.243,900
2012$17.26$24.20$19.203,520
2013$17.02$23.52$19.473,440
2014$17.22$23.42$19.633,350
2015$17.47$23.73$20.243,390
2016$17.59$23.60$20.963,770
2017$17.78$23.35$21.714,280
2018$18.21$23.35$22.404,110
2019$18.48$23.27$23.243,730
2020$19.13$23.80$23.813,220
2021$21.57$25.63$23.203,250
2022$21.30$23.43$24.713,020
2023$22.59$23.87$27.093,290
2024$25.00$25.66$28.513,220
2025$28.71$28.71$29.123,630

In today's dollars, the median carpenter wage in New Mexico changed by +21.0% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for carpenters in New Mexico

On federally funded construction in New Mexico, contractors must pay carpenters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 9 of the 33 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $34.87 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $27.46). 23 of the 33 counties still use a survey rate dated 2010 or earlier (for example Catron County at $26.16). The market median for the state is $28.71.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NMBernalillo: $34.87 (union)Catron: $26.16 (survey)Chaves: $45.29 (union)Cibola: $32.03 (survey)Colfax: $32.03 (survey)Curry: $21.21 (survey)De Baca: $26.16 (survey)Doña Ana: $34.87 (union)Eddy: $23.40 (survey)Grant: $34.87 (union)Guadalupe: $32.03 (survey)Harding: $32.03 (survey)Hidalgo: $26.16 (survey)Lea: $26.07 (survey)Lincoln: $27.46 (survey)Los Alamos: $34.87 (union)Luna: $22.16 (survey)McKinley: $32.03 (survey)Mora: $32.03 (survey)Otero: $27.11 (survey)Quay: $32.03 (survey)Rio Arriba: $32.03 (survey)Roosevelt: $27.46 (survey)Sandoval: $34.87 (union)San Juan: $45.29 (union)San Miguel: $32.03 (survey)Santa Fe: $27.11 (survey)Sierra: $26.16 (survey)Socorro: $26.16 (survey)Taos: $32.03 (survey)Torrance: $34.87 (union)Union: $32.03 (survey)Valencia: $34.87 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$26.16$31.12$32.03$34.87survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for carpenters by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)Prevailing (survey)$20$30$40$50/hrSan Juan (Farmington): market median $28.71, prevailing (union) $45.29, gap +$16.58San Juan (Farmington)+$16.58Doña Ana (Las Cruces): market median $27.42, prevailing (union) $34.87, gap +$7.45Doña Ana (Las Cruces)+$7.45Bernalillo (Albuquerque): market median $28.89, prevailing (union) $34.87, gap +$5.98Bernalillo (Albuquerque)+$5.98Santa Fe (Santa Fe): market median $28.57, prevailing (survey) $27.11, gap −$1.46Santa Fe (Santa Fe)−$1.46
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for carpenters, metro counties in New Mexico.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
ChavesUnion CARP1319-009 2025-01-01$29.09$16.20$45.29NM20260014
San JuanUnion CARP1319-017 2025-01-01$29.09$16.20$45.29NM20260046
BernalilloUnion CARP1505-001 2018-06-01$24.08$10.79$34.87NM20260044
Doña AnaUnion CARP1245-006 2018-06-01$24.08$10.79$34.87NM20260045
GrantUnion CARP1245-005 2018-06-01$24.08$10.79$34.87NM20260019
Los AlamosUnion CARP1353-007 2018-06-01$24.08$10.79$34.87NM20260022
SandovalUnion CARP1505-001 2018-06-01$24.08$10.79$34.87NM20260047
TorranceUnion CARP1505-001 2018-06-01$24.08$10.79$34.87NM20260049
ValenciaUnion CARP1505-001 2018-06-01$24.08$10.79$34.87NM20260049
CibolaSurvey SUNM2010-019 2010-11-09$26.07$5.96$32.03NM20260031
ColfaxSurvey SUNM2010-003 2010-11-09$26.07$5.96$32.03NM20260015
GuadalupeSurvey SUNM2010-019 2010-11-09$26.07$5.96$32.03NM20260031
HardingSurvey SUNM2010-019 2010-11-09$26.07$5.96$32.03NM20260031
McKinleySurvey SUNM2010-012 2010-11-09$26.07$5.96$32.03NM20260024
MoraSurvey SUNM2010-019 2010-11-09$26.07$5.96$32.03NM20260031

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the New Mexico prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in New Mexico?

58.6kConstruction jobsNew Mexico, 2026-08
+5.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k30k40k50k60k70k1990199520002005201020152020202559kAug 2026
Construction employment in New Mexico (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Carpenter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in New Mexico

Questions this page answers

How much do carpenters make in New Mexico?

The median carpenter in New Mexico earned $28.71 an hour ($59,720 a year) in May 2025, 1% below the national median of $29.12. The middle half earn $22.67–$30.44; the top 10% earn more than $37.40.

Where does New Mexico rank for carpenter pay?

New Mexico ranks 25th of 51 states for carpenter pay, with a median of $28.71 an hour, and 15th after adjusting for New Mexico's cost of living (BEA price parity 92.2, US = 100).

What is the union carpenter rate in New Mexico?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for carpenters in 9 counties, with a typical package of $34.87 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many carpenters work in New Mexico?

BLS counted 3,630 carpenters in New Mexico in May 2025, 4.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.97; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New Mexico and metro areas, SOC 47-2031.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.