SOC 25-2012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education — New Mexico
New Mexico · 2 metro areas compared
The median wage for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education in New Mexico is $74,380 per year, 18.7% above the national median of $62,680.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -1.6%
- Openings per year
- 12,800
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
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 New Mexico.
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
The median wage for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education in New Mexico is $74,380 per year, 18.7% above the national median of $62,680. Half of workers earn between $60,740 and $80,640. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $51,420 and the ninetieth at $88,570.
Employment stands at 950, or 1.1 jobs per thousand held locally. New Mexico ranks number 10th out of 50 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Las Cruces records the highest median at $74,400. Of the 634 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 201st.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $51,420 | −18.0% |
| 25th | $60,740 | −3.1% |
| Median (50th) | $74,380 | +18.7% |
| 75th | $80,640 | +28.7% |
| 90th | $88,570 | +41.3% |
| Mean | $71,000 | +13.3% |
Highest-paying metro areas in New Mexico
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Cruces | $74,400 | 160 | |
| 2 | Albuquerque | $66,440 | 290 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in New Mexico run 7.8% below the national average, so the median of $74,380 goes as far as $80,672 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 28.7% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$74,380as reported by BLSLocal price level
92.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$80,672US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $74,380 a year, 18.7% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $51,420 to $88,570 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 950 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 10th of 50 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Las Cruces, at $74,400.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education in New Mexico?
The median annual wage is $74,380, 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 $62,680, so pay in New Mexico is 18.7% higher. 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 New Mexico earns more than $88,570 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $51,420 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 Las Cruces, at $74,400 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 950 jobs in this occupation in New Mexico. 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.
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