School district · New Mexico · LEAID 3501650
Los Alamos Public Schools
Los Alamos Public Schools spends $16,194 per pupil, in the lowest third among comparable New Mexico districts with a reliable figure. Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Los Alamos Public Schools come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $65,518
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $16,194
- Per-pupil spending
- 3,724
- Students enrolled
- 36th
- Pct. in NM
Below benchmark
Los Alamos Public Schools spends $16,194 per pupil, in the lowest third among comparable New Mexico districts with a reliable figure. Estimated average teacher salary is $65,518, below the national average of $70,245, serving 3,724 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Lower per-pupil spending: Los Alamos Public Schools spends $16,194 per pupil, in the lowest third among comparable New Mexico districts with a reliable figure.
- 36th percentile for New Mexico
- 50th percentile nationally
- 38% 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.
- Los Alamos Public Schools ranks #45 of 70 New Mexico districts by estimated teacher salary and #63 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
- +16.8% 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, Los Alamos Public Schools's instructional payroll puts 0.4% into vocational programs , 3.6 points below the state median of 4.0%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.
| Program | Los Alamos | NM median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 76.2% | 74.0% | +2.2 pp |
| Special education | 19.1% | 17.0% | +2.1 pp |
| Vocational programs | 0.4% | 4.0% | -3.6 pp |
| Other programs | 4.2% | 3.3% | +1.0 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 3501650 · FY2023.
LEAID 3501650 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
Los Alamos F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $65,518 estimated average teacher salary · P36 in New Mexico · P50 nationally · 38% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Artesia (+$841est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for Los Alamos
Salary neighbourhood · Los Alamos
Los Alamos sits mid-pack among in-state peers; the chart brackets it between the top and bottom pay poles (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).
- Farmington · low pole
Farmington · low pole
$56,733 est. salary
- Bloomfield · near
Bloomfield · near
$64,668 est. salary
- T · near
T · near
$64,673 est. salary
- Los · this district
Los · this district
$65,518 est. salary
- Artesia · near
Artesia · near
$66,358 est. salary
- Zuni · top pay
Zuni · top pay
$83,041 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Los Alamos
Los Alamos Public Schools's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$65,518 Top 50% higher than 50% 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
Los Alamos in New Mexico's lower-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
- Jal Public Schools
Jal Public Schools
$72,122 est. avg salary
- Los Alamos Public Schools
Los Alamos Public Schools
$65,518 est. avg salary
What this shows Los Alamos Public Schools ranks #45 of 70 New Mexico districts by estimated teacher salary and #63 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
Los Alamos 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
- Los Alamos Public Schools $16,194
Los Alamos Public Schools
$16,194 per pupil
What this shows Jal Public Schools leads spending at $47,829 per pupil; Penasco Independent Schools leads pay.
This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests
- Nominal district estimate
- $65,517.611
- New Mexico price level
- 91.0 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $72,012
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 Los Alamos Public Schools
What the Numbers Say About Los Alamos Public Schools
Los Alamos Public Schools is a small-to-mid-sized school district in New Mexico, serving 3,724 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $16,194. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $65,518, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3501650 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 Los Alamos Public Schools runs materially below the state benchmark, a 5.4% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (6.7% differential). Among enrolling districts in New Mexico, it pays more than 36% 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, Los Alamos Public Schools reports $60.3M in total expenditure against $62.9M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 38% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $14.0M, special-education teacher pay is $3.5M.
How does Los Alamos 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.
Los Alamos Public Schools pays -12.2% less than Albuquerque Public Schools · per-pupil $16,194 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, Los Alamos Public Schools sits closest to Artesia Public Schools; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Deming Public 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 with similar lower pay
Two out-of-state peer sets for Los Alamos Public Schools: closest on enrollment (3,724 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($65,518 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 Los Alamos 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 80% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 20% 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. Los Alamos Public Schools places 35 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
The bar behind each salary shows its magnitude within this New Mexico sample (including Los Alamos). Hover or focus a value for the exact comparison.
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 Los Alamos Public Schools
What is the average teacher salary in Los Alamos Public Schools?
The average teacher salary in Los Alamos Public Schools is $65,518 (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 Los Alamos Public Schools teacher pay compare to the New Mexico average?
Los Alamos Public Schools pays 5.4% less than the New Mexico state average of $69,282. The district's average is $65,518.
How does Los Alamos Public Schools teacher pay compare to the national average?
Los Alamos Public Schools pays 6.7% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $65,518.
What is the per-pupil spending in Los Alamos Public Schools?
Los Alamos Public Schools spends approximately $16,194 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of Los Alamos Public Schools's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 38% of Los Alamos Public Schools's total expenditure of $60.3M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for Los Alamos 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 |