School district · New Mexico · LEAID 3501500
Las Cruces Public Schools
Las Cruces Public Schools is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable New Mexico districts (23,075 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Las Cruces Public Schools come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $74,033
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $16,818
- Per-pupil spending
- 23,075
- Students enrolled
- 77th
- Pct. in NM
Above benchmark
Las Cruces Public Schools is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable New Mexico districts (23,075 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $74,033, above the national average of $70,245, serving 23,075 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Large enrollment scale: Las Cruces Public Schools is in the largest third by enrollment among comparable New Mexico districts (23,075 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
- 77th percentile for New Mexico
- 66th percentile nationally
- 34% of spending reaches instructional salaries
- New Mexico ranks #20 of 49 on the salary estimate and #36 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
- Las Cruces Public Schools ranks #16 of 70 New Mexico districts by estimated teacher salary and #60 of 70 by per-pupil spending. Penasco Independent Schools pay #1 at $148,037 is not Jal Public Schools spending #1 at $47,829 per pupil
- +40.5% estimated-basis panel FY2020→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)
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Instructional payroll mix vs New Mexico median
Among 89 New Mexico districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Las Cruces Public Schools's instructional payroll puts 64.0% into regular program , 10.0 points below the state median of 74.0%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.
| Program | Las Cruces | NM median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 64.0% | 74.0% | -10.0 pp |
| Special education | 22.9% | 17.0% | +5.9 pp |
| Vocational programs | 0.9% | 4.0% | -3.0 pp |
| Other programs | 12.1% | 3.3% | +8.9 pp |
Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 89 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 3501500 · FY2023.
LEAID 3501500 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
Las Cruces F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $74,033 estimated average teacher salary · P77 in New Mexico · P66 nationally · 34% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Belen (+$132est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for Las Cruces
Salary neighbourhood · Las Cruces
Las Cruces already leads most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).
- Farmington · low pole
Farmington · low pole
$56,733 est. salary
- Lovington · near
Lovington · near
$73,839 est. salary
- Las · this district
Las · this district
$74,033 est. salary
- Belen · near
Belen · near
$74,165 est. salary
- Albuquerque · near
Albuquerque · near
$74,657 est. salary
- Zuni · top pay
Zuni · top pay
$83,041 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Las Cruces
Las Cruces Public Schools's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$74,033 Top 34% higher than 66% of 10,684 US districts
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023
Las Cruces in New Mexico's upper-third pay band
Same 70 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)
- Penasco Independent Schools
Penasco Independent Schools
$148,037 est. avg salary
- Las Cruces Public Schools
Las Cruces Public Schools
$74,033 est. avg salary
- Jal Public Schools
Jal Public Schools
$72,122 est. avg salary
What this shows Las Cruces Public Schools ranks #16 of 70 New Mexico districts by estimated teacher salary and #60 of 70 by per-pupil spending. Penasco Independent Schools pay #1 at $148,037 is not Jal Public Schools spending #1 at $47,829 per pupil
The same districts by per-pupil spending
Las Cruces Public Schools is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar
- Jal Public Schools
Jal Public Schools
$47,829 per pupil
- Penasco Independent Schools
Penasco Independent Schools
$27,884 per pupil
- Las Cruces Public Schools $16,818
Las Cruces Public Schools
$16,818 per pupil
What this shows Jal Public Schools leads spending at $47,829 per pupil; Penasco Independent Schools leads pay.
What stands out about Las Cruces Public Schools
- This is a contracting district: 24,517 students in FY2020 down to 23,075 in FY2023, a 5.9% decline. Enrolment drives most state funding formulas, so the finance figures below describe a budget under downward pressure rather than a steady state.
This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests
- Nominal district estimate
- $74,033.072
- New Mexico price level
- 91.0 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $81,372
The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.
BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.
+10% versus the nominal figure.
Prices in New Mexico run below the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. A district in a costlier state can advertise a larger nominal salary and still leave a teacher with less.
Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how New Mexico compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.
How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Las Cruces Public Schools
What the Numbers Say About Las Cruces Public Schools
Las Cruces Public Schools is a mid-sized school district in New Mexico, serving 23,075 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $16,818. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $74,033, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3501500 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.
Relative to the New Mexico statewide average of $69,282, teacher pay in Las Cruces Public Schools runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 6.9% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (5.4% differential). Among enrolling districts in New Mexico, it pays more than 77% of them. New Mexico itself ranks #20 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.
On the budget side, Las Cruces Public Schools reports $388.1M in total expenditure against $393.4M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 34% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $71.7M, special-education teacher pay is $25.7M.
How does Las Cruces Public Schools compare?
Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the New Mexico average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.
Las Cruces Public Schools pays -0.8% less than Albuquerque Public Schools · per-pupil $16,818 vs $17,560
Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.
Data-derived comparison paths
Find comparable New Mexico districts
On pay, Las Cruces Public Schools sits closest to Albuquerque Public Schools; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Hobbs Municipal Schools. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.
Similar estimated teacher pay
Similar per-pupil investment
Out-of-state districts near Las Cruces Public Schools's enrollment scale
Two out-of-state peer sets for Las Cruces Public Schools: closest on enrollment (23,075 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($74,033 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.
Similar enrollment
Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).
Similar estimated salary
Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.
Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.
Revenue & Expenditure
Instructional Salary by Program
The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Las Cruces Public Schools: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 85% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 15% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.
New Mexico Teacher Pay Overview
The highest average among comparably sized New Mexico districts belongs to Pecos Independent Schools at $96,768. Las Cruces Public Schools places 14 of 50 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. Montana and Missouri are the states closest to New Mexico on BEA's price parity, which makes them the fair comparison; against a costlier state this salary goes further than its number suggests.
View all New Mexico districts →Other New Mexico Districts
Large-district sample from 69 New Mexico peers with reliable NCES data; bar length shows pay magnitude within this slice.
This is a sample of 6 from 69 New Mexico districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.
Frequently Asked Questions about Las Cruces Public Schools
What is the average teacher salary in Las Cruces Public Schools?
The average teacher salary in Las Cruces Public Schools is $74,033 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).
How does Las Cruces Public Schools teacher pay compare to the New Mexico average?
Las Cruces Public Schools pays 6.9% more than the New Mexico state average of $69,282. The district's average is $74,033.
How does Las Cruces Public Schools teacher pay compare to the national average?
Las Cruces Public Schools pays 5.4% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $74,033.
What is the per-pupil spending in Las Cruces Public Schools?
Las Cruces Public Schools spends approximately $16,818 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of Las Cruces Public Schools's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 34% of Las Cruces Public Schools's total expenditure of $388.1M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for Las Cruces Public Schools
Disclaimer & data sources
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher
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| Sources | Public official public datasets |