HVAC technician salary in New Mexico
Median $24.17 an hour for 1,950 HVAC technicians, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
HVAC technician pay in New Mexico: the full range
New Mexico ranks 47th of 51 states for median HVAC technician pay, and 50th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.21). 1,950 HVAC technicians work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.0× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $17.97 – $21.71 | $37,380 – $45,160 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $21.71 – $30.24 | $45,160 – $62,900 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $30.24 – $36.43 | $62,900 – $75,770 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
HVAC technician pay by metro in New Mexico
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $18.36 | $27.46 | $28.75 | $36.43 | 1,000 | 14% above |
| Farmington | $17.61 | $25.02 | $28.53 | $35.48 | 110 | 4% above |
| Las Cruces | $17.25 | $23.87 | $26.46 | $34.76 | 240 | 1% below |
| Santa Fe | $18.89 | $23.73 | $24.02 | $35.51 | 150 | 2% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
HVAC technician wages in New Mexico over time
Table
| Year | New Mexico $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $12.55 | $24.25 | $14.50 | 590 |
| 2000 | $13.57 | $25.37 | $15.76 | 580 |
| 2001 | $14.18 | $25.78 | $16.35 | 580 |
| 2002 | $14.20 | $25.41 | $16.78 | 790 |
| 2003 | $14.11 | $24.69 | $16.90 | 900 |
| 2004 | $15.77 | $26.88 | $17.43 | 1,000 |
| 2005 | $18.11 | $29.85 | $17.81 | 1,510 |
| 2006 | $16.27 | $25.98 | $18.11 | 1,310 |
| 2007 | $16.81 | $26.10 | $18.44 | 1,090 |
| 2008 | $17.22 | $25.75 | $19.08 | 660 |
| 2009 | $17.55 | $26.34 | $19.76 | 490 |
| 2010 | $19.22 | $28.38 | $20.45 | 500 |
| 2011 | $19.58 | $28.02 | $20.86 | 700 |
| 2012 | $19.12 | $26.81 | $20.98 | 930 |
| 2013 | $18.80 | $25.98 | $21.10 | 980 |
| 2014 | $19.48 | $26.49 | $21.46 | 1,040 |
| 2015 | $19.52 | $26.51 | $21.69 | 1,120 |
| 2016 | $19.90 | $26.69 | $22.07 | 1,200 |
| 2017 | $19.84 | $26.06 | $22.64 | 1,110 |
| 2018 | $21.57 | $27.65 | $22.89 | 1,220 |
| 2019 | $20.89 | $26.31 | $23.43 | 1,380 |
| 2020 | $20.77 | $25.84 | $24.32 | 1,440 |
| 2021 | $22.42 | $26.64 | $23.38 | 1,180 |
| 2022 | $22.39 | $24.63 | $24.71 | 1,240 |
| 2023 | $22.24 | $23.50 | $27.55 | 1,770 |
| 2024 | $26.45 | $27.15 | $28.75 | 1,820 |
| 2025 | $24.17 | $24.17 | $29.33 | 1,950 |
In today's dollars, the median HVAC technician wage in New Mexico changed by -8.8% over the last ten years of data and by -8.1% since 2019.
Are there more HVAC technician jobs in New Mexico?
BLS counted 1,950 HVAC technicians in New Mexico in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 11%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.
Outlook for HVAC technicians in New Mexico
New Mexico's labor market agency projects the number of HVAC technicians in the state to change by +10.0% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,930 to 2,120, with about 190 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +10.9% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 1,950 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: New Mexico labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in New Mexico?
Contractor pay by county
Average pay at plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just HVAC technicians), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages. Across the 22 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 22,922 in 2015 to 28,689 in 2025, +25.2%.
| County | Establishments | Employees | Average annual pay | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luna County | 7 | 65 | $205,782 | $3,957 |
| Bernalillo County | 258 | 3,449 | $73,171 | $1,407 |
| Sandoval County | 46 | 282 | $68,377 | $1,315 |
| San Juan County | 32 | 383 | $65,842 | $1,266 |
| Santa Fe County | 80 | 499 | $61,032 | $1,174 |
| Doña Ana County | 63 | 614 | $56,931 | $1,095 |
| Taos County | 21 | 92 | $53,938 | $1,037 |
| San Miguel County | 7 | 55 | $52,958 | $1,018 |
| Rio Arriba County | 10 | 28 | $51,765 | $995 |
| Chaves County | 27 | 192 | $51,519 | $991 |
| Curry County | 12 | 340 | $50,622 | $973 |
| McKinley County | 10 | 193 | $48,872 | $940 |
| Otero County | 17 | 206 | $48,650 | $936 |
| Roosevelt County | 5 | 32 | $44,825 | $862 |
| Lincoln County | 14 | 53 | $44,750 | $861 |
| Cibola County | 3 | 11 | $37,228 | $716 |
Keep comparing
HVAC technician pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in New Mexico
More on New Mexico
Questions this page answers
How much do HVAC technicians make in New Mexico?
The median HVAC technician in New Mexico earned $24.17 an hour ($50,270 a year) in May 2025, 18% below the national median of $29.33. The middle half earn $21.71–$30.24; the top 10% earn more than $36.43.
Where does New Mexico rank for HVAC technician pay?
New Mexico ranks 47th of 51 states for HVAC technician pay, with a median of $24.17 an hour, and 50th after adjusting for New Mexico's cost of living (BEA price parity 92.2, US = 100).
What is the union HVAC technician rate in New Mexico?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a HVAC technician classification for most New Mexico counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many HVAC technicians work in New Mexico?
BLS counted 1,950 HVAC technicians in New Mexico in May 2025, 2.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.85; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is HVAC technician work growing in New Mexico?
New Mexico's labor market agency projects +10.0% growth for HVAC technicians between 2024 and 2034, from 1,930 to 2,120 jobs.
How many HVAC technician openings a year are there in New Mexico?
New Mexico projects about 190 openings a year for HVAC technicians over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 40,600 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New Mexico and metro areas, SOC 49-9021. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: New Mexico labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.