SalaryExplorer

SOC 21-1022 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Healthcare Social Workers — Las Cruces

Las Cruces, NM · 3 metro areas compared

$65,890 /year
$31.68per hour
120jobs in area
−2.9%vs US median

At $65,890, median pay for Healthcare Social Workers in Las Cruces, NM tracks the national median of $67,880 closely.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $67,88010TH$43,57025TH$55,250MEDIAN$65,89075TH$76,34090TH$85,700

How pay has moved

$75,858$43,4732019202020212022202320242025$65,890
$55,700 in 2019 to $65,890 in 2025, +18.3% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow faster than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+7.7%
Openings per year
18,400
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree
On-the-job training
Internship/residency

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Las Cruces, NM.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

At $65,890, median pay for Healthcare Social Workers in Las Cruces, NM tracks the national median of $67,880 closely. Pay ranges from under $43,570 at the tenth percentile to more than $85,700 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $55,250 to $76,340.

Employment stands at 120, or 1.5 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Santa Fe records the highest median at $73,610. Of the 274 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 94th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Las Cruces, NM · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$43,570−35.8%
25th$55,250−18.6%
Median (50th)$65,890−2.9%
75th$76,340+12.5%
90th$85,700+26.3%
Mean$64,950−4.3%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in New Mexico

Median annual wage for Healthcare Social Workers, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Santa Fe$73,61080
2Albuquerque$65,200600
3Farmington$62,22030

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Las Cruces run 9.8% below the national average, so the median of $65,890 goes as far as $73,049 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 7.6% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$65,890as reported by BLS

Local price level

90.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$73,049US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $65,890 a year, 2.9% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $43,570 to $85,700 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 120 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Santa Fe, at $73,610.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Healthcare Social Workers in Las Cruces, NM?

The median annual wage is $65,890, or $31.68 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $67,880, so pay in Las Cruces, NM is 2.9% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Las Cruces, NM earns more than $85,700 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $43,570 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Santa Fe, at $73,610 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 120 jobs in this occupation in Las Cruces, NM. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Healthcare Social Workers Salary in Las Cruces, NM (2025): $65,890 Median | Salary Explorer