Skilled Wages

Sheet metal worker salary in New Mexico

Median $27.27 an hour for 640 sheet metal workers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$27.27/hrMedian hourly wageNew Mexico, May data
$56,720/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$17.50 – $40.7110th to 90th percentilehourly range
640Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Sheet metal worker 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 $17.50 · 25th $20.00 · median $27.27 · 75th $38.05 · 90th $40.71New Mexico$27.27$17.50$40.71United States: 10th $18.57 · 25th $22.99 · median $29.71 · 75th $39.24 · 90th $50.79United States$29.71
Hourly wage percentiles for sheet metal workers: New Mexico vs United States, May 2025.

New Mexico ranks 37th of 50 states for median sheet metal worker pay, and 32nd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $29.58). 640 sheet metal workers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$17.50 – $20.00$36,410 – $41,600roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$20.00 – $38.05$41,600 – $79,140the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$38.05 – $40.71$79,140 – $84,690the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Sheet metal worker pay by metro in New Mexico

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrAlbuquerque: $27.90Albuquerque$27.90Las Cruces: $26.36Las Cruces$26.36
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers by metro area in New Mexico, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Albuquerque$18.00$27.90$40.714202% above
Las Cruces$16.87$26.36$37.95803% below

Sheet metal worker wages in New Mexico over time

New Mexico, 1999-2025New MexicoUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$29.71United States$27.27New Mexico
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers, New Mexico vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNew Mexico $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$12.58$24.31$14.09360
2000$10.63$19.87$15.31820
2001$11.56$21.01$15.97930
2002$13.65$24.43$16.62660
2003$13.62$23.83$16.83610
2004$15.45$26.33$17.09500
2005$16.06$26.47$17.50620
2006$16.65$26.59$17.96780
2007$16.70$25.93$18.851,200
2008$17.69$26.45$19.371,190
2009$17.82$26.74$19.54880
2010$18.50$27.31$20.05590
2011$18.60$26.62$20.55750
2012$18.54$26.00$20.81690
2013$20.52$28.36$21.10790
2014$19.26$26.19$21.67740
2015$20.34$27.63$21.99800
2016$18.73$25.12$22.57610
2017$19.13$25.13$23.07710
2018$19.91$25.53$23.30730
2019$23.19$29.20$24.23710
2020$26.50$32.96$24.70730
2021$28.05$33.33$25.69460
2022$23.32$25.65$26.61560
2023$35.44$37.45$28.26700
2024$28.47$29.22$29.26650
2025$27.27$27.27$29.71640

In today's dollars, the median sheet metal worker wage in New Mexico changed by -1.3% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for sheet metal workers in New Mexico

On federally funded construction in New Mexico, contractors must pay sheet metal workers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 8 of the 33 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $56.01 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $31.66). 25 of the 33 counties still use a survey rate dated 2010 or earlier (for example Catron County at $31.66). The market median for the state is $27.27.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NMBernalillo: $56.01 (union)Catron: $31.66 (survey)Chaves: $31.66 (survey)Cibola: $31.66 (survey)Colfax: $31.66 (survey)Curry: $31.66 (survey)De Baca: $31.66 (survey)Doña Ana: $56.01 (union)Eddy: $31.66 (survey)Grant: $56.01 (union)Guadalupe: $31.66 (survey)Harding: $31.66 (survey)Hidalgo: $31.66 (survey)Lea: $31.66 (survey)Lincoln: $31.66 (survey)Los Alamos: $31.66 (survey)Luna: $31.66 (survey)McKinley: $31.66 (survey)Mora: $31.66 (survey)Otero: $31.66 (survey)Quay: $31.66 (survey)Rio Arriba: $31.66 (survey)Roosevelt: $31.66 (survey)Sandoval: $56.01 (union)San Juan: $56.01 (union)San Miguel: $31.66 (survey)Santa Fe: $56.01 (union)Sierra: $31.66 (survey)Socorro: $31.66 (survey)Taos: $31.66 (survey)Torrance: $56.01 (union)Union: $31.66 (survey)Valencia: $56.01 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hrsurvey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for sheet metal workers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$20$30$40$50$60/hrDoña Ana (Las Cruces): market median $26.36, prevailing (union) $56.01, gap +$29.65Doña Ana (Las Cruces)+$29.65San Juan (New Mexico): market median $27.27, prevailing (union) $56.01, gap +$28.74San Juan (New Mexico)+$28.74Bernalillo (Albuquerque): market median $27.90, prevailing (union) $56.01, gap +$28.11Bernalillo (Albuquerque)+$28.11
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for sheet metal workers, metro counties in New Mexico.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BernalilloUnion SHEE0049-004 2024-01-01$37.50$18.51$56.01NM20260044
Doña AnaUnion SHEE0049-005 2024-01-01$37.50$18.51$56.01NM20260045
GrantUnion SHEE0049-013 2024-01-01$37.50$18.51$56.01NM20260019
SandovalUnion SHEE0049-004 2024-01-01$37.50$18.51$56.01NM20260047
San JuanUnion SHEE0049-005 2024-01-01$37.50$18.51$56.01NM20260046
Santa FeUnion SHEE0049-005 2024-01-01$37.50$18.51$56.01NM20260048
TorranceUnion SHEE0049-004 2024-01-01$37.50$18.51$56.01NM20260049
ValenciaUnion SHEE0049-004 2024-01-01$37.50$18.51$56.01NM20260049
CatronSurvey SUNM2010-001 2010-11-09$22.01$9.65$31.66NM20260013
ChavesSurvey SUNM2010-002 2010-11-09$22.01$9.65$31.66NM20260014
CibolaSurvey SUNM2010-019 2010-11-09$22.01$9.65$31.66NM20260031
ColfaxSurvey SUNM2010-003 2010-11-09$22.01$9.65$31.66NM20260015
CurrySurvey SUNM2010-004 2010-11-09$22.01$9.65$31.66NM20260016
De BacaSurvey SUNM2010-005 2010-11-09$22.01$9.65$31.66NM20260017
EddySurvey SUNM2010-006 2010-11-09$22.01$9.65$31.66NM20260018

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.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just sheet metal workers), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Luna County65$205,782$3,957
Bernalillo County3,449$73,171$1,407
Sandoval County282$68,377$1,315
San Juan County383$65,842$1,266
Santa Fe County499$61,032$1,174
Dona Ana County614$56,931$1,095
Taos County92$53,938$1,037
San Miguel County55$52,958$1,018
Rio Arriba County28$51,765$995
Chaves County192$51,519$991
Curry County340$50,622$973
McKinley County193$48,872$940

Keep comparing

Sheet metal worker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in New Mexico

Questions this page answers

How much do sheet metal workers make in New Mexico?

The median sheet metal worker in New Mexico earned $27.27 an hour ($56,720 a year) in May 2025, 8% below the national median of $29.71. The middle half earn $20.00–$38.05; the top 10% earn more than $40.71.

Where does New Mexico rank for sheet metal worker pay?

New Mexico ranks 37th of 50 states for sheet metal worker pay, with a median of $27.27 an hour, and 32nd after adjusting for New Mexico's cost of living (BEA price parity 92.2, US = 100).

What is the union sheet metal worker rate in New Mexico?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for sheet metal workers in 8 counties, with a typical package of $56.01 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many sheet metal workers work in New Mexico?

BLS counted 640 sheet metal workers in New Mexico in May 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.96; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New Mexico and metro areas, SOC 47-2211.
  • 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.