Counter and Rental Clerks Salary
Counter and Rental Clerks in New Mexico make a median of $35,580 a year, or about $17.11 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.06), which stretches that salary to about $38,233 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,119/month, about 46.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New Mexico. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $36K get you in New Mexico?
About counter and rental clerks
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What this looks like in New Mexico
Pay for counter and rental clerks in New Mexico runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $41K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,119/month, which is 44.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.06 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for counter and rental clerkss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New Mexico
Entry-level counter and rental clerks (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $29K spread from bottom to top.
Counter and Rental Clerks salary by metro in New Mexico
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe | $37K | +5% | 170 |
| Albuquerque | $36K | +0% | 1,270 |
| Farmington | $36K | -0% | 140 |
| Las Cruces | $30K | -17% | 190 |
Compare to other states
Track counter and rental clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when New Mexico numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a counter and rental clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Mexico?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 44.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,119/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for counter and rental clerks in New Mexico?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new counter and rental clerks typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,676/month. At HUD’s $1,119/month FMR, rent would take 67% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is counter and rental clerk a high-paying job in New Mexico?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $36K here vs. $41K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does New Mexico compare to the national average for counter and rental clerks?
New Mexico pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do counter and rental clerks make in New Mexico?
The median is $35,580 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,940, and experienced counter and rental clerks can clear $57,030. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in New Mexico?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,490/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,119/month, which eats 44.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a counter and rental clerks salary go in New Mexico?
New Mexico has a Regional Price Parity of 93.06 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median counter and rental clerks salary is worth about $38,233 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do counter and rental clerks get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.