Skilled Wages

Plasterer salary in New Mexico

Median $21.80 an hour for 460 plasterers and stucco masons, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$21.80/hrMedian hourly wageNew Mexico, May data
$45,350/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.00 – $29.5210th to 90th percentilehourly range
460Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Plasterer pay in New Mexico: the full range

Wage percentiles, New MexicoMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrNew Mexico: 10th $18.00 · 25th $18.00 · median $21.80 · 75th $26.94 · 90th $29.52New Mexico$21.80$18.00$29.52United States: 10th $19.02 · 25th $23.06 · median $27.72 · 75th $34.28 · 90th $46.50United States$27.72
Hourly wage percentiles for plasterers and stucco masons: New Mexico vs United States, May 2025.

New Mexico ranks 28th of 28 states for median plasterer pay, and 24th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $23.64). 460 plasterers and stucco masons work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$18.00 – $18.00$37,440 – $37,440roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$18.00 – $26.94$37,440 – $56,040the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$26.94 – $29.52$56,040 – $61,410the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Plasterer pay by metro in New Mexico

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrSanta Fe: $27.47Santa Fe$27.47Albuquerque: $18.01Albuquerque$18.01
Median hourly wage for plasterers and stucco masons by metro area in New Mexico, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Santa Fe$21.85$27.47$29.746026% above
Albuquerque$18.00$18.01$29.5232017% below

Plasterer wages in New Mexico over time

New Mexico, 1999-2025New MexicoUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30200020052010201520202025$27.72United States$21.80New Mexico
Median hourly wage for plasterers and stucco masons, New Mexico vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNew Mexico $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$11.94$23.07$14.48970
2000$12.95$24.21$16.00930
2001$12.87$23.40$15.79830
2002$13.21$23.64$15.91890
2003$12.09$21.15$15.901,030
2004$12.00$20.45$15.60970
2005$12.93$21.31$16.08830
2006$14.85$23.71$16.68870
2007$13.94$21.64$17.52910
2008$13.77$20.59$18.01760
2009$14.83$22.25$18.16720
2010$15.61$23.05$17.89720
2011$16.15$23.11$17.71800
2012$15.28$21.43$17.85630
2013$15.03$20.77$17.64430
2014$14.21$19.32$18.05420
2015$14.03$19.06$17.94370
2016$15.47$20.75$18.70440
2017$16.91$22.21$19.59530
2018$18.16$23.28$20.93540
2019$18.62$23.45$21.85440
2020$19.49$24.24$22.61290
2021$17.80$21.15$23.24490
2022$19.49$21.44$23.91340
2023$21.39$22.60$25.31350
2024$22.70$23.30$26.93350
2025$21.80$21.80$27.72460

In today's dollars, the median plasterer wage in New Mexico changed by +14.4% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for plasterers in New Mexico

On federally funded construction in New Mexico, contractors must pay plasterers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 1 of the 27 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $35.50 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $24.16). 26 of the 27 counties still use a survey rate dated 2010 or earlier (for example Catron County at $24.80). The market median for the state is $21.80.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NMBernalillo: $35.50 (union)Catron: $24.80 (survey)Chaves: $24.80 (survey)Cibola: $22.94 (survey)Colfax: $22.94 (survey)Curry: $24.80 (survey)De Baca: $24.80 (survey)Doña Ana: —Eddy: $24.80 (survey)Grant: $24.80 (survey)Guadalupe: $22.94 (survey)Harding: $22.94 (survey)Hidalgo: $24.80 (survey)Lea: $24.80 (survey)Lincoln: $24.80 (survey)Los Alamos: $22.94 (survey)Luna: $24.80 (survey)McKinley: $23.53 (survey)Mora: $22.94 (survey)Otero: $12.00 (survey)Quay: $22.94 (survey)Rio Arriba: $22.94 (survey)Roosevelt: $24.80 (survey)Sandoval: —San Juan: —San Miguel: $22.94 (survey)Santa Fe: —Sierra: $24.80 (survey)Socorro: $24.80 (survey)Taos: $22.94 (survey)Torrance: —Union: $22.94 (survey)Valencia: —Union / prevailing package, $/hr$22.94$24.80n/asurvey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for plasterers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BernalilloUnion PLAS0254-001 2024-01-01$24.31$11.19$35.50NM20260044
CatronSurvey SUNM2010-001 2010-11-09$17.65$7.15$24.80NM20260013
ChavesSurvey SUNM2010-002 2010-11-09$17.65$7.15$24.80NM20260014
CurrySurvey SUNM2010-004 2010-11-09$17.65$7.15$24.80NM20260016
De BacaSurvey SUNM2010-005 2010-11-09$17.65$7.15$24.80NM20260017
EddySurvey SUNM2010-006 2010-11-09$17.65$7.15$24.80NM20260018
GrantSurvey SUNM2010-007 2010-11-09$17.65$7.15$24.80NM20260019
HidalgoSurvey SUNM2010-020 2010-11-09$17.65$7.15$24.80NM20260032
LeaSurvey SUNM2010-008 2010-11-09$17.65$7.15$24.80NM20260020
LincolnSurvey SUNM2010-009 2010-11-09$17.65$7.15$24.80NM20260021
LunaSurvey SUNM2010-011 2010-11-09$17.65$7.15$24.80NM20260023
RooseveltSurvey SUNM2010-015 2010-11-09$17.65$7.15$24.80NM20260027
SierraSurvey SUNM2010-020 2010-11-09$17.65$7.15$24.80NM20260032
SocorroSurvey SUNM2010-017 2010-11-09$17.65$7.15$24.80NM20260029
McKinleySurvey SUNM2010-012 2010-11-09$17.65$5.88$23.53NM20260024

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

Plasterer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in New Mexico

Questions this page answers

How much do plasterers make in New Mexico?

The median plasterer in New Mexico earned $21.80 an hour ($45,350 a year) in May 2025, 21% below the national median of $27.72. The middle half earn $18.00–$26.94; the top 10% earn more than $29.52.

Where does New Mexico rank for plasterer pay?

New Mexico ranks 28th of 28 states for plasterer pay, with a median of $21.80 an hour, and 24th after adjusting for New Mexico's cost of living (BEA price parity 92.2, US = 100).

What is the union plasterer rate in New Mexico?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for plasterers in 1 counties, with a typical package of $35.50 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many plasterers work in New Mexico?

BLS counted 460 plasterers and stucco masons in New Mexico in May 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 4.28; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New Mexico and metro areas, SOC 47-2161.
  • 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.