Welder salary in New Mexico
Median $28.77 an hour for 2,390 welders, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Welder pay in New Mexico: the full range
New Mexico ranks 16th of 51 states for median welder pay, and 6th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $31.20). 2,390 welders work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.5× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $17.72 – $21.52 | $36,860 – $44,750 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $21.52 – $39.69 | $44,750 – $82,550 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $39.69 – $44.60 | $82,550 – $92,760 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Welder pay by metro in New Mexico
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmington | $17.40 | $27.62 | $31.49 | $44.65 | 500 | 4% below |
| Santa Fe | $20.85 | $25.39 | $25.70 | $37.84 | 30 | 12% below |
| Albuquerque | $17.81 | $24.03 | $25.16 | $38.01 | 510 | 16% below |
| Las Cruces | $17.29 | $22.85 | $25.33 | $35.35 | 80 | 21% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Welder wages in New Mexico over time
Table
| Year | New Mexico $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $11.56 | $22.34 | $12.58 | 1,590 |
| 2000 | $11.76 | $21.99 | $13.13 | 1,810 |
| 2001 | $12.59 | $22.89 | $13.70 | 1,890 |
| 2002 | $12.69 | $22.71 | $14.02 | 1,860 |
| 2003 | $12.74 | $22.29 | $14.25 | 1,970 |
| 2004 | $13.52 | $23.04 | $14.72 | 1,760 |
| 2005 | $14.01 | $23.09 | $14.90 | 1,850 |
| 2006 | $14.20 | $22.68 | $15.10 | 1,920 |
| 2007 | $15.55 | $24.14 | $15.51 | 1,930 |
| 2008 | $16.99 | $25.41 | $16.13 | 2,070 |
| 2009 | $17.18 | $25.78 | $16.71 | 1,940 |
| 2010 | $17.83 | $26.32 | $17.04 | 2,020 |
| 2011 | $17.66 | $25.28 | $17.27 | 2,000 |
| 2012 | $18.51 | $25.96 | $17.45 | 2,320 |
| 2013 | $19.10 | $26.40 | $17.66 | 2,060 |
| 2014 | $20.51 | $27.89 | $17.99 | 2,190 |
| 2015 | $21.60 | $29.34 | $18.34 | 1,850 |
| 2016 | $21.68 | $29.08 | $18.94 | 1,800 |
| 2017 | $21.38 | $28.08 | $19.35 | 1,700 |
| 2018 | $22.37 | $28.68 | $19.89 | 1,800 |
| 2019 | $23.77 | $29.93 | $20.43 | 2,080 |
| 2020 | $24.22 | $30.13 | $21.25 | 2,080 |
| 2021 | $23.37 | $27.77 | $22.60 | 2,020 |
| 2022 | $24.00 | $26.40 | $22.86 | 2,140 |
| 2023 | $23.56 | $24.89 | $23.53 | 1,930 |
| 2024 | $25.22 | $25.88 | $24.52 | 2,350 |
| 2025 | $28.77 | $28.77 | $25.84 | 2,390 |
In today's dollars, the median welder wage in New Mexico changed by -1.9% over the last ten years of data and by -3.9% since 2019.
Are there more welder jobs in New Mexico?
BLS counted 2,390 welders in New Mexico in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 9%. 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 welders in New Mexico
New Mexico's labor market agency projects the number of welders in the state to change by +6.1% between 2024 and 2034, from 2,540 to 2,700, with about 270 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.4% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 2,390 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?
Keep comparing
Welder pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in New Mexico
More on New Mexico
Questions this page answers
How much do welders make in New Mexico?
The median welder in New Mexico earned $28.77 an hour ($59,840 a year) in May 2025, 11% above the national median of $25.84. The middle half earn $21.52–$39.69; the top 10% earn more than $44.60.
Where does New Mexico rank for welder pay?
New Mexico ranks 16th of 51 states for welder pay, with a median of $28.77 an hour, and 6th after adjusting for New Mexico's cost of living (BEA price parity 92.2, US = 100).
What is the union welder rate in New Mexico?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a welder classification for most New Mexico counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many welders work in New Mexico?
BLS counted 2,390 welders in New Mexico in May 2025, 2.8 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.03; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is welder work growing in New Mexico?
New Mexico's labor market agency projects +6.1% growth for welders between 2024 and 2034, from 2,540 to 2,700 jobs.
How many welder openings a year are there in New Mexico?
New Mexico projects about 270 openings a year for welders over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 40,300 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New Mexico and metro areas, SOC 51-4121. 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.