- The New Mexico minimum wage is $12.00 an hour, set by state law effective .
- No increase is currently scheduled in New Mexico.
- Tipped employees must be paid at least $3.00 in cash, with a tip credit of up to $9.00.
- A youth or training wage of $8.50 applies: Students regularly enrolled in secondary school working after school hours or when school is not in session: at least $8.50/hour (50-4-22(B), effective 2020-01-01), unless tipped (then subsection D....
- At $12.00 an hour, full-time work (2,080 hours) pays $24,960 a year before taxes.
Tipped cash wage
Youth / training
Next change
Local rates
Rate tiers
| Tier | Rate | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Local ordinances: Santa Fe (city), Santa Fe County, Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Las... | n/a | UC Berkeley inventory (updated 2026-07-24) lists these five local ordinances; Albuquerque's and Bernalillo County's base rates have been surpassed by the... |
Coverage, exemptions, and history
Who is covered. Employees under the Minimum Wage Act, NMSA 50-4-22(A): 'on and after January 1, 2023, at least twelve dollars ($12.00) an hour.' Note 50-4-21(C)(7) excludes....
Tipped employees. Employees customarily receiving more than $30/month in tips: cash wage of at least $3.00 (on and after 2023-01-01); tips plus cash wage must equal at least the full minimum wage; tips retained by...
Recent history. SB 437 (2019): $7.50 before 2020; $9.00 (2020); $10.50 (2021); $11.50 (2022); $12.00 (2023+). Tipped: $2.13 to $2.35, $2.55, $2.80, $3.00 (2023+).
The NM DWS website rejected all automated requests ('Request Rejected'); agency URL above was not read. Statute text was verified via FindLaw's code mirror and the enrolled SB 437 PDF on nmlegis.gov.
Statute. NMSA 1978, Section 50-4-22 (Minimum Wage Act), as amended by 2019 SB 437 (effective 2020-01-01).
Common questions
What is the minimum wage in New Mexico?
$12.00 an hour as of September 2, 2026, under state law effective January 1, 2023.
When does the New Mexico minimum wage go up next?
No increase is scheduled.
What is the tipped minimum wage in New Mexico?
$3.00 in cash plus tips; the employer must make up any shortfall to $12.00.
Do any cities in New Mexico have a higher minimum wage?
None were found in effect.
Sources
- https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/19%20Regular/final/SB0437.pdf official
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state official
- https://www.dws.state.nm.us/en-us/Labor-Relations/Labor-Information/Minimum-Wage-Information official
- https://codes.findlaw.com/nm/chapter-50-employment-law/nm-st-sect-50-4-22/
- https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wages
- https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/inventory-of-us-city-and-county-minimum-wage-ordinances/
Checked 2026-09-02 against New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, Labor Relations Division; researcher confidence 0.85.