Skilled Wages

Painter salary in New Mexico

Median $22.23 an hour for 1,010 painters, construction and maintenance, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$22.23/hrMedian hourly wageNew Mexico, May data
$46,240/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.16 – $33.9210th to 90th percentilehourly range
1,010Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Painter pay in New Mexico: the full range

Wage percentiles, New MexicoMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrNew Mexico: 10th $18.16 · 25th $19.48 · median $22.23 · 75th $24.19 · 90th $33.92New Mexico$22.23$18.16$33.92United States: 10th $18.00 · 25th $21.46 · median $23.75 · 75th $29.65 · 90th $37.89United States$23.75
Hourly wage percentiles for painters, construction and maintenance: New Mexico vs United States, May 2025.

New Mexico ranks 38th of 51 states for median painter pay, and 35th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $24.11). 1,010 painters, construction and maintenance work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$18.16 – $19.48$37,760 – $40,530roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$19.48 – $24.19$40,530 – $50,320the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$24.19 – $33.92$50,320 – $70,560the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Painter pay by metro in New Mexico

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrSanta Fe: $23.00Santa Fe$23.00Albuquerque: $22.21Albuquerque$22.21Las Cruces: $21.75Las Cruces$21.75Farmington: $21.53Farmington$21.53
Median hourly wage for painters, construction and maintenance by metro area in New Mexico, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Santa Fe$21.23$23.00$35.99903% above
Albuquerque$18.35$22.21$30.50630about the same as
Las Cruces$17.38$21.75$35.151002% below
Farmington$16.60$21.53$35.90503% below

Painter wages in New Mexico over time

New Mexico, 1999-2025New MexicoUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25200020052010201520202025$23.75United States$22.23New Mexico
Median hourly wage for painters, construction and maintenance, New Mexico vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNew Mexico $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$12.39$23.94$12.861,130
2000$11.69$21.86$13.101,370
2001$12.04$21.89$13.661,430
2002$12.18$21.80$13.981,640
2003$11.76$20.58$14.121,410
2004$12.93$22.04$14.551,130
2005$12.29$20.26$14.811,230
2006$13.58$21.69$15.001,520
2007$13.24$20.56$15.421,690
2008$13.67$20.44$15.851,480
2009$13.29$19.94$16.211,250
2010$13.59$20.06$16.481,040
2011$13.85$19.82$17.04960
2012$14.14$19.83$16.92960
2013$14.52$20.07$17.011,070
2014$14.84$20.18$17.291,260
2015$14.46$19.64$17.591,100
2016$14.90$19.99$18.061,080
2017$15.76$20.70$18.251,060
2018$16.52$21.18$18.72970
2019$17.04$21.46$19.37990
2020$17.51$21.78$20.251,000
2021$18.03$21.42$21.921,190
2022$18.71$20.58$22.161,310
2023$20.74$21.91$22.941,230
2024$22.07$22.65$23.401,280
2025$22.23$22.23$23.751,010

In today's dollars, the median painter wage in New Mexico changed by +13.2% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for painters in New Mexico

On federally funded construction in New Mexico, contractors must pay painters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 11 of the 33 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $31.00 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $18.33). 15 of the 33 counties still use a survey rate dated 2010 or earlier (for example Catron County at $18.33). The market median for the state is $22.23.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NMBernalillo: $18.65 (survey)Catron: $18.33 (survey)Chaves: $18.33 (survey)Cibola: $31.00 (union)Colfax: $31.00 (union)Curry: $18.33 (survey)De Baca: $18.33 (survey)Doña Ana: $18.65 (survey)Eddy: $18.33 (survey)Grant: $18.33 (survey)Guadalupe: $31.00 (union)Harding: $31.00 (union)Hidalgo: $18.33 (survey)Lea: $18.37 (survey)Lincoln: $18.24 (survey)Los Alamos: $17.89 (survey)Luna: $18.33 (survey)McKinley: $27.05 (union)Mora: $31.00 (union)Otero: $17.89 (survey)Quay: $31.00 (union)Rio Arriba: $31.00 (union)Roosevelt: $18.33 (survey)Sandoval: $18.65 (survey)San Juan: $18.65 (survey)San Miguel: $31.00 (union)Santa Fe: $18.65 (survey)Sierra: $18.33 (survey)Socorro: $18.33 (survey)Taos: $31.00 (union)Torrance: $18.65 (survey)Union: $31.00 (union)Valencia: $18.65 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$18.33$18.65survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for painters by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (survey)$18$20$22$24/hrSan Juan (Farmington): market median $21.53, prevailing (survey) $18.65, gap −$2.88San Juan (Farmington)−$2.88Doña Ana (Las Cruces): market median $21.75, prevailing (survey) $18.65, gap −$3.10Doña Ana (Las Cruces)−$3.10Bernalillo (Albuquerque): market median $22.21, prevailing (survey) $18.65, gap −$3.56Bernalillo (Albuquerque)−$3.56Santa Fe (Santa Fe): market median $23.00, prevailing (survey) $18.65, gap −$4.35Santa Fe (Santa Fe)−$4.35
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for painters, metro counties in New Mexico.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
CibolaUnion PAIN0823-007 2025-01-01$24.00$7.00$31.00NM20260031
ColfaxUnion PAIN0823-007 2025-01-01$24.00$7.00$31.00NM20260015
GuadalupeUnion PAIN0823-007 2025-01-01$24.00$7.00$31.00NM20260031
HardingUnion PAIN0823-007 2025-01-01$24.00$7.00$31.00NM20260031
MoraUnion PAIN0823-007 2025-01-01$24.00$7.00$31.00NM20260031
QuayUnion PAIN0823-007 2025-01-01$24.00$7.00$31.00NM20260031
Rio ArribaUnion PAIN0823-007 2025-01-01$24.00$7.00$31.00NM20260026
San MiguelUnion PAIN0823-007 2025-01-01$24.00$7.00$31.00NM20260028
TaosUnion PAIN0823-007 2025-01-01$24.00$7.00$31.00NM20260031
UnionUnion PAIN0823-007 2025-01-01$24.00$7.00$31.00NM20260030
McKinleyUnion PAIN0823-010 2023-01-01$18.25$8.80$27.05NM20260024
BernalilloSurvey SUNM2016-001 2018-09-26$16.51$2.14$18.65NM20260044
Doña AnaSurvey SUNM2016-002 2018-09-26$16.51$2.14$18.65NM20260045
SandovalSurvey SUNM2016-004 2018-09-26$16.51$2.14$18.65NM20260047
San JuanSurvey SUNM2016-003 2018-09-26$16.51$2.14$18.65NM20260046

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

Painter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in New Mexico

Questions this page answers

How much do painters make in New Mexico?

The median painter in New Mexico earned $22.23 an hour ($46,240 a year) in May 2025, 6% below the national median of $23.75. The middle half earn $19.48–$24.19; the top 10% earn more than $33.92.

Where does New Mexico rank for painter pay?

New Mexico ranks 38th of 51 states for painter pay, with a median of $22.23 an hour, and 35th after adjusting for New Mexico's cost of living (BEA price parity 92.2, US = 100).

What is the union painter rate in New Mexico?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for painters in 11 counties, with a typical package of $31.00 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many painters work in New Mexico?

BLS counted 1,010 painters, construction and maintenance in New Mexico in May 2025, 1.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.80; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New Mexico and metro areas, SOC 47-2141.
  • 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.