The Albuquerque minimum wage in 2023 currently sits at $12.00 per hour.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, is in the top 50 most populated U.S. cities, and when you consider the beautiful weather and brilliant opportunities the city has to offer, it is easy to see why.
Many choose Albuquerque as their place to live and work due to the brilliant job opportunities opened up by a large consumer market, matched with a quality of life that is incredibly difficult to find.
The graphic below displays the Albuquerque minimum wage rate over the past few years, which, as you can see, has been increasing at a steady and consistent rate.
The weekly minimum wage in New Mexico equates to $480 ($12.00 x 40) if you work a full 40-hour week. There are, however, some exceptions to this hourly wage for student workers, tipped employees, and overtime workers, who may receive different minimum wage rates.
Albuquerque Minimum Wage Exemptions
There are rules and laws in place to ensure that employers are paying their employees the minimum wage or above in Albuquerque, NM unless they are exempt employees.
Below are the minimum wage rates for exempt employees in Albuquerque:
- Albuquerque’s minimum wage for tipped employees is $7.20 per hour with a tip credit rate of $4.80.
- Student-workers (full-time high school or college) in Albuquerque are paid a minimum wage of $10.20 per hour for up to 20 hours of work a week. If they work over 20 hours per week, they are eligible for the full minimum wage of $12.00 per hour.
- The overtime minimum wage in Albuquerque is $18.00 per hour for every hour worked in excess of 40 hours per week ($12.00 x 1.5).
- The minimum wage for employees under the age of 20 is $4.25 per hour for the first 90 days of employment, and after this, they are eligible for the Albuquerque minimum wage rate of $12.00 per hour.
What is the Albuquerque Living Wage?
Due to Albuquerque being a large and thriving city, with a healthy and growing population and competitive job market, you would imagine that the minimum wage rate would perhaps be higher than $12.00 per hour in 2023.
However, there is a “living wage” in Albuquerque, which is calculated based on how much somebody needs to earn in order to pay their bills, food, and general cost of living expenses whilst living in the city.
The living wage for an adult living alone with no children in Albuquerque is $16.03 per hour (via Living Wage Calculator ), which is $4.03 higher than the minimum wage for the state itself.
Several employers consider this when they contemplate how much they should be paying employees within the city. Taking all of the living expenses into account, the living wage annual salary (for a full-time person) in Albuquerque is $33,353 before state income tax in New Mexico.
Albuquerque Living Wage for 1 Adult
Below is a table representing the living wage in Albuquerque for a single adult, with different living wages for the additional amount of children they live with and care for.
| Single Adult | 0 Children | 1 Child | 2 Children | 3 Children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living Wage | $16.03 | $31.86 | $39.36 | $52.36 |
| Poverty Wage | $6.19 | $8.38 | $10.56 | $12.74 |
Albuquerque Living Wage for 2 Adults
The table below showcases the living wage in Albuquerque for two adults with only one working, including the costs for the different numbers of dependent children.
| 2 Adults (1 working) | 0 Children | 1 Child | 2 Children | 3 Children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living Wage | $25.94 | $31.33 | $36.97 | $41.17 |
| Poverty Wage | $8.38 | $10.56 | $12.74 | $14.92 |
What is the Average Wage in Albuquerque?
Now that we know the minimum wage, exemptions, and the cost of living, or living wage, in Albuquerque, let’s look at the average wage for Albuquerque employees.
According to payscale.com, the average base hourly rate is approximately $18.16 per hour in 2023. If you worked full-time (40 hours per week or 2080 hours per year), your average annual gross income would be approximately $37,772.80.
So, as an employee or future employee in Albuquerque, you have a good chance of being paid a higher wage than the minimum wage of $12.00 per hour. However, unfortunately, you may still not make enough to reach the living wage rate within the city.
If the living wage in Albuquerque is $16.03 and the average salary equates to an effective hourly rate of $18.16 per hour, Albuquerque is certainly a city that needs to be considered if you are looking to move.
Fortunately, the average wage in Albuquerque is just an average calculation, and you could certainly earn more than this when moving to the state. However, you may be paid even less, with the minimum wage being $12.00 per hour, which is the case for many Servers in New Mexico.
Albuquerque Minimum Wage History
The table below displays the historical minimum wage rates in Albuquerque all the way back to 1983. As you can see in the table, we have included percentage increases and the dollar increase per year.
| State | Wage | Year | $ Wage Increase | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2023 | $12.00 | 2023 | $0.50 | 4.3% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2022 | $11.50 | 2022 | $1.00 | 9.5% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2021 | $10.50 | 2021 | $1.50 | 16.6% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2020 | $9.00 | 2020 | $1.50 | 20% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2019 | $7.50 | 2019 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2018 | $7.50 | 2018 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2017 | $7.50 | 2017 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2016 | $7.50 | 2016 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2015 | $7.50 | 2015 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2014 | $7.50 | 2014 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2013 | $7.50 | 2013 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2012 | $7.50 | 2012 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2011 | $7.50 | 2011 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2010 | $7.50 | 2010 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2009 | $7.50 | 2009 | $1.00 | 15.4% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2008 | $6.50 | 2008 | $1.35 | 26.21% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2007 | $5.15 | 2007 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2006 | $5.15 | 2006 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2005 | $5.15 | 2005 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2004 | $5.15 | 2004 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2003 | $5.15 | 2003 | $0.90 | 21.17% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2002 | $4.25 | 2002 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2001 | $4.25 | 2001 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 2000 | $4.25 | 2000 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1999 | $4.25 | 1999 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1998 | $4.25 | 1998 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1997 | $4.25 | 1997 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1996 | $4.25 | 1996 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1995 | $4.25 | 1995 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1994 | $4.25 | 1994 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1993 | $4.25 | 1993 | $0.90 | 26.86% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1992 | $3.35 | 1992 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1991 | $3.35 | 1991 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1990 | $3.35 | 1990 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1989 | $3.35 | 1989 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1988 | $3.35 | 1988 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1987 | $3.35 | 1987 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1986 | $3.35 | 1986 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1985 | $3.35 | 1985 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1984 | $3.35 | 1984 | $0 | 0% |
| Albuquerque Minimum Wage 1983 | $3.35 | 1983 | $0 | 0% |
Final Thoughts
The minimum wage in Albuquerque is the same rate as the NM state minimum wage, following an hourly wage of $12.00 per hour. As an employee in Albuquerque, you must be paid this wage or higher by law.
The living wage is significantly higher than the minimum wage within the city, which is why many Albuquerque employers will pay more than $12.00 per hour to their employees despite not being legally obliged to.
