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Healthcare

Registered Nurses Salary

in New Mexico

Registered Nurses in New Mexico make a median of $94,340 a year, or about $45.36 an hour. The range runs from $74K at the entry level to $124K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.06), which stretches that salary to about $101,375 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,119/month, or 18.8% of estimated take-home pay.

Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New Mexico. Jump to a metro for precise data:

$94K
Median annual
$45.36/hr
Hourly rate
$74K
Entry level (10th %)
$124K
Senior level (90th %)

So what does $94K get you in New Mexico?

Estimated monthly take-home$5,927/mo
Median 2BR rent-$1,119/mo
Rent as % of take-home18.9% (within guideline)
Cost-of-living adjusted salary$101,375/yr
Monthly remaining after rent$4,808/mo

About registered nurses

Education: Bachelor's degree
U.S. employed: 3,379,720
New Mexico employed: 17,980
Category: Healthcare

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What this looks like in New Mexico

Registered nurses pay in New Mexico tracks closely to the national median, $94K locally vs. $98K nationwide, a 3% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,119/month, 18.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.

Compensation breakdown

Annual earnings by percentile, New Mexico

Bar chart showing Registered Nurses salary percentiles in New Mexico: 10th percentile $74,300, 25th percentile $80,960, median $94,340, 75th percentile $102,750, 90th percentile $123,540. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.10th$74K25th$81KMedian$94K75th$103K90th$124K
Bar chart showing Registered Nurses salary percentiles in New Mexico: 10th percentile $74,300, 25th percentile $80,960, median $94,340, 75th percentile $102,750, 90th percentile $123,540. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $74K. Mid-career wages sit at $94K. Top earners bring in $124K or more, a $49K spread from bottom to top.

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Registered Nurses salary by metro in New Mexico

4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay

Metro areaMedian salaryvs. stateEmployment
Santa Fe$101K+7%1,090
Albuquerque$96K+2%10,290
Las Cruces$83K-12%1,280
Farmington$83K-12%840

Compare to other states

Track registered nurses 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 registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Mexico?

Yes — at the median salary of $94K, rent takes 18.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,119/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.

What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in New Mexico?

The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $74K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,458/month. At HUD’s $1,119/month FMR, rent would take 25% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.

Is registered nurse a high-paying job in New Mexico?

Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $94K locally vs. $98K nationally, a 3% difference.

How does New Mexico compare to the national average for registered nurses?

New Mexico pays $94K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $101K — still ahead of the national median.

How much do registered nurses make in New Mexico?

The median is $94,340 a year, that works out to about $45 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $74,300, and experienced registered nurses can clear $123,540. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

Is $94K enough to live in New Mexico?

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,927/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,119/month, which eats 18.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

How far does a registered nurses 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 registered nurses salary is worth about $101,375 in national-average purchasing power.

Where do registered nurses 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.

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