Minimum wage in New Mexico, 2000–2026
- Minimum wage in 2026
$12 an hour1
- On January 1, 2027
No 2027 rate listed1
The U.S. DOL's table of state minimum wages lists $12 an hour (checked Oct 26, 2026).
- Tipped employees
$3 an hour in cash2
Employers may count up to $9 an hour of tips toward the minimum wage. Tipped: more than $30 a month in tips.
- Overtime
Premium pay after 40 hours a week1
The New Mexico state-law minimum wage rose from $4.25 in 2000 to $12 in 2023, still the rate in 2026; the federal rate applied where higher
Line chart of the New Mexico minimum wage against the federal minimum: $4.25 in 2000, $7.50 in 2010, $9 in 2020, and $12 in 2026. The federal minimum was $5.15 in 2000 and $7.25 in 2026.
What a full-time minimum-wage employee costs in New Mexico
At $12 an hour for 40 hours a week, a new employer with 10 staff pays $24,960 in wages and $2,463 on top (9.9%) in payroll taxes and workers' comp. New Mexico publishes a new-employer unemployment rate per industry; this uses its rate for wholesale trade (NAICS 42) (choose yours in the calculator).
- Wages (2,080 paid hours a year)
- $24,960
- Social Security (employer share)6.2%4 of $24,960
- $1,548
- Medicare (employer share)1.45%5 of $24,960
- $362
- State unemployment insurance (new employer)1% (new-employer rate for wholesale trade (NAICS 42))7 of $24,9608
- $250
- Workers' compensation (benchmark index rate)$1.05 per $100 of payroll9
- $262
- Total a year
- $27,423
If you also offer single health coverage, the average employer here pays about $7,680 more a year: a $9,447 average premium10 less $1,767 paid by the employee10.
Change the inputs in the New Mexico employer cost calculator
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in New Mexico in 2026?
$12 an hour: $24,960 a year at full time.
What will the minimum wage be in New Mexico in 2027?
The U.S. DOL's table of state minimum wages lists $12 an hour for New Mexico and no 2027 rate (checked Oct 26, 2026).
What is the minimum wage for tipped employees in New Mexico?
$3 an hour in cash, with up to $9 of tips counted toward New Mexico's $12.
How much does a minimum-wage employee cost an employer in New Mexico?
About $27,423 a year full time at $12: $24,960 of pay plus $2,463 on top, $2,201 in payroll taxes and $262 in workers' comp, before any health coverage.
How has the New Mexico minimum wage changed since 2000?
The New Mexico state-law minimum wage rose from $4.25 in 2000 to $12 in 2023, still the rate in 2026; the federal rate applied where higher. On the way: $7.50 in 2010 and $9 in 2020, per the U.S. DOL.
More minimum wage and employer cost pages
Employer costs in New Mexico
States with a similar minimum wage
Data and rules for every state
Sources
The 10 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.
Quotes from the sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state“New Mexico Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $12.00” “New Mexico … Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $12.00 … Premium Pay After Designated Hours 1 : Weekly - 40 … The overtime premium rate is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate, unless otherwise specified.”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped“Definition of Tipped Employee by Minimum Tips received (monthly unless otherwise specified) … State requires employers to pay tipped employees a minimum cash wage above the minimum cash wage required under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act ($2.13/hour) … New Mexico $12.00 $9.00 $3.00 More than $30”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division Changes in Basic Minimum Wages in Non-Farm Employment Under State Law: Selected Years 1968 to 2024“New Mexico 1.15 - 1.40 1.30 - 1.60 1.30 - 1.60 2.00 2.30 2.65 2.90 … New Mexico 3.35 3.35 3.35 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 … New Mexico 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 5.15 5.15 5.15 … New Mexico 5.15 6.50 7.50 7.50 7.50 7.50 7.50 … New Mexico 7.50 7.50 7.50 7.50 7.50 9.00 … New Mexico 9.00 10.50 11.50 12.00 12.00” “Federal (FLSA) $1.15 & $1.60 $1.30 & $1.60 $1.60 $2.20 & $2.30 $2.90 $3.10 $3.35 … Federal (FLSA) $3.35 $3.80 $4.25 $4.25 $4.25 $4.75 $5.15 … Federal (FLSA) $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 5.15 … Federal (FLSA) 5.15 5.85 6.55 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 … Federal (FLSA) 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 … Federal (FLSA) 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25 7.25”
- Internal Revenue Service IRS Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide“For 2026, the social security tax rate is 6.2% (amount withheld) each for the employer and employee (12.4% total).”
- Social Security Administration ssa.gov/oact/cola/cbb.html“Tax rates under the HI program are 1.45 percent for employees and employers, each, and 2.90 percent for self-employed persons.”
- Internal Revenue Service Topic no. 759, Form 940 – FUTA tax (IRS)“If you're entitled to the maximum 5.4% credit, the FUTA tax rate after credit is 0.6%.” “FUTA tax rate: The FUTA tax rate is 6.0%. The tax applies to the first $7,000 you paid to each employee as wages during the year.”
- New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions dws.state.nm.us/Unemployment/Unemployment-for-a-Business/Unemployment-Insurance-Tax-Information/How-UI-Tax-Rates-Are-Calculated“42 Wholesale Trade 1.00”
- U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/content/sigpros/2020-2029/January2026.pdf“NM … $34,800”
- Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services oregon.gov/dcbs/reports/cost/Pages/premium-index-rates.aspx“Premium index rate: $1.00-$1.25 … State Index rate Percent of study median … 27 27 New Mexico 1.05 96%”
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (MEPS-IC) meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/summ_tables/insr/state/series_2/2025/ic25_iia_f.pdf“Table II.C.1 Average total single premium (in dollars) per enrolled employee … Division and State Total … New Mexico 9,447 -- 14,092 8,048 9,478 9,737 9,459 9,445” “Table II.C.2 Average total employee contribution (in dollars) per enrolled employee for single coverage … Division and State Total … New Mexico 1,767 -- -- 1,898 1,832 1,564 2,171 * 1,682”