Electrical Engineers Salary
In Las Cruces, NM, electrical engineers earn $96,060 at the median, or about $46.18 an hour. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $135K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.21), which stretches that salary to about $106,485 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,042/month, or 17.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $96K get you in Las Cruces?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Las Cruces’s Regional Price Parity (90.21). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About electrical engineers
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What this looks like in Las Cruces
Pay for electrical engineers in Las Cruces runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $121K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,042/month, 17.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.21 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Las Cruces can be a reasonable trade-off for electrical engineerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for electrical engineers in metros near Las Cruces, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $164K | $171K |
| Pueblo | $119K | , |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $131K | $133K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $124K | $121K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Las Cruces, NM
Entry-level electrical engineers (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $96K. Top earners bring in $135K or more, a $69K spread from bottom to top.
Electrical Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Electrical Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $159K | +31% | 2,560 |
| California | $144K | +19% | 24,230 |
| District of Columbia | $143K | +19% | 330 |
| New Hampshire | $136K | +13% | 1,600 |
| Washington | $133K | +10% | 7,610 |
| Texas | $129K | +7% | 20,870 |
| Idaho | $129K | +7% | 1,000 |
| Massachusetts | $128K | +6% | 5,040 |
| Delaware | $127K | +5% | 660 |
| Alaska | $126K | +4% | 350 |
| Alabama | $126K | +4% | 4,600 |
| New Jersey | $125K | +4% | 2,940 |
| Oregon | $125K | +4% | 2,540 |
| Maryland | $125K | +4% | 4,650 |
| Louisiana | $124K | +3% | 990 |
| Colorado | $121K | +0% | 4,200 |
| Virginia | $119K | -1% | 7,260 |
| New York | $119K | -1% | 8,770 |
| Missouri | $119K | -2% | 2,410 |
| Maine | $115K | -5% | 1,150 |
| West Virginia | $113K | -6% | 500 |
| Wyoming | $112K | -7% | 280 |
| Vermont | $111K | -8% | 820 |
| Pennsylvania | $111K | -8% | 6,970 |
| North Dakota | $111K | -8% | 260 |
| North Carolina | $110K | -9% | 7,090 |
| Minnesota | $110K | -9% | 3,150 |
| Illinois | $108K | -11% | 5,460 |
| Oklahoma | $108K | -11% | 2,080 |
| Nevada | $107K | -11% | 1,100 |
| Nebraska | $107K | -11% | 1,060 |
| Hawaii | $106K | -12% | 1,080 |
| Michigan | $106K | -12% | 10,840 |
| Iowa | $106K | -12% | 1,280 |
| Utah | $106K | -12% | 1,680 |
| Mississippi | $105K | -13% | 1,130 |
| Florida | $105K | -13% | 9,220 |
| Tennessee | $104K | -13% | 2,830 |
| Connecticut | $104K | -14% | 2,930 |
| Indiana | $103K | -15% | 4,000 |
| Kansas | $103K | -15% | 2,100 |
| Ohio | $101K | -17% | 6,360 |
| Arizona | $101K | -17% | 5,370 |
| Wisconsin | $100K | -17% | 3,550 |
| South Dakota | $99K | -18% | 530 |
| Kentucky | $99K | -18% | 1,540 |
| South Carolina | $98K | -18% | 3,490 |
| Arkansas | $97K | -20% | 900 |
| Montana | $87K | -28% | 790 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track electrical engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Las Cruces numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a electrical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Las Cruces?
Yes — at the median salary of $96K, rent takes 17.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,042/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for electrical engineers in Las Cruces?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new electrical engineers typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,925/month. At HUD’s $1,042/month FMR, rent would take 27% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is electrical engineer a high-paying job in Las Cruces?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $96K here vs. $121K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Las Cruces compare to the national average for electrical engineers?
Las Cruces pays $96K median vs. the U.S. average of $121K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $106K — below the national median.
How much do electrical engineers make in Las Cruces, NM?
The median is $96,060 a year, that works out to about $46 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $65,420, and experienced electrical engineers can clear $134,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $96K enough to live in Las Cruces?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,021/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,042/month, which eats 17.3% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a electrical engineers salary go in Las Cruces?
Las Cruces has a Regional Price Parity of 90.21 (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 electrical engineers salary is worth about $106,485 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do electrical engineers 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.