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State profile · NCES F-33 FY2022

Teacher Salary in New Mexico

According to the NCES Common Core of Data finance survey, estimated teacher pay and per-pupil spending are available across 89 public school districts in New Mexico.

$72,485
Est. state avg salary
-15.5%
vs national
#35
National rank
89
Districts
$72,485/year (est.)

New Mexico's estimated average teacher salary is $72,485, materially below the national average of $85,759, ranking #35 of 51 states and territories, across 89 public school districts (NCES CCD F-33, FY2022).

  • lower third nationally (#35 of 51)
  • $27,173 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
  • -15.5% vs the national average
  • +25.7% since FY2019
  • #30 of 51 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 90.9)

What does the NCES F-33 data show for New Mexico?

New Mexico reports 89 public school districts in the NCES Common Core of Data FY2022 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, with an average teacher salary of $72,485. That places the state in the lower third of US teacher-pay rankings - #35 of 51, materially below the national average of $85,759 (-15.5%). The state's public schools serve 299,234 students across these districts. Most district figures divide total instructional spending by the district's REPORTED teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey); a small number of large consolidated districts that report staffing only at a sub-district level fall back to an estimated ratio instead, since total instructional spending also includes aides and assistants, both figures run somewhat above survey-reported classroom-teacher-only salaries, treat this as a relative cross-district comparison, not an exact paycheck, and see our methodology for the formula, its data source per district, and its limits.

Among enrolling districts, pay varies widely: Jal Public Schools reports the highest estimated average salary at $86,037, while Questa Independent Schools sits at the lower end at $58,864 - a spread of $27,173 between top and bottom reporting districts. Licensing rules, state aid formulas, collective bargaining density, and local tax bases all drive this intra-state variation. Urban and suburban districts with larger tax bases typically lead, while rural districts often lag despite lower cost of living.

Teacher compensation here reflects both state policy choices, the statutory minimum salary schedule, pension funding levels, licensure reciprocity, and the funding formula that determines how much state aid each district receives per pupil. A #35 national rank signals where New Mexico sits in the competition for teachers against neighboring states; teacher shortage areas typically correlate with lower pay rank. Figures below are per-district averages derived from the F-33 instructional salary expenditure field (Z33) divided by each district's reported teacher FTE (or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure), a district-level aggregate, not individual salary records.

Purchasing-power-adjusted rank

New Mexico's nominal average teacher salary ranks #35 of 51 states and territories. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2022 Regional Price Parity (90.9, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $79,716, ranking #30 of 51 , 5 places higher than the nominal rank once relative price levels are factored in. This purchasing-power view is not published by NEA's teacher-pay rankings or the aggregator sites; it comes from combining our own F-33-derived salary estimate with BEA's public RPP series. See the full 51-state release for methodology and download.

$60,000$65,000$70,000$75,000$80,000$85,000 FY2019FY2020FY2021FY2022 $64,318 $80,854 ▲ +25.7%

New Mexico's estimated average teacher salary, FY2019-FY2022

Source: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey (consistent estimated basis, all years) As of FY2022

Highest-paying districts in New Mexico

Estimated average teacher salary, enrolling districts (200+ students)

Est. avg salary

What this shows Jal Public Schools leads New Mexico on the F-33 instructional-salary estimate. Service entities (CTCs, county offices) are excluded, their enrollment-based ratios are not reliable salary figures.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2022 As of FY2022

Top 3 districts

1 $86,037

Jal Public Schools

Est. avg teacher salary
2 $83,909

Penasco Independent Schools

Est. avg teacher salary
3 $82,609

Magdalena Municipal Schools

Est. avg teacher salary

Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment Per-Pupil Exp
Jal Public Schools $86,037 508 $31,886
Penasco Independent Schools $83,909 330 $19,855
Magdalena Municipal Schools $82,609 280 $30,836
Santa Rosa Consolidated Schools $81,254 608 $19,477
Roswell Independent Schools $81,131 9,854 $14,402
Pecos Independent Schools $81,091 505 $17,366
Cuba Independent Schools $80,997 667 $29,202
Gallup-mckinley Cty Schools $80,784 12,043 $17,740
Cloudcroft Municipal Schools $80,367 384 $24,099
Lovington Municipal Schools $79,957 3,460 $14,739
Hobbs Municipal Schools $78,862 9,772 $15,888
Tatum Municipal Schools $78,663 310 $18,006
Mora Independent Schools $78,569 410 $25,195
Dulce Independent Schools $78,356 544 $27,814
Central Consolidated Schools $77,915 4,996 $22,238
T Or C Municipal Schools $77,702 1,254 $15,636
Eunice Municipal Schools $77,485 744 $35,660
Socorro Consolidated Schools $76,320 1,474 $17,652
Los Alamos Public Schools $75,825 3,709 $14,273
Santa Fe Public Schools $75,545 11,989 $16,964
Carlsbad Municipal Schools $75,206 8,835 $15,882
Tularosa Municipal Schools $75,055 809 $19,324
Cobre Consolidated Schools $74,605 1,079 $18,463
Clovis Municipal Schools $74,145 7,849 $13,013
Las Vegas City Public Schools $74,026 1,209 $19,739
Raton Public Schools $74,000 843 $14,649
Zuni Public Schools $73,859 1,152 $25,147
Las Cruces Public Schools $73,606 23,771 $13,226
Logan Municipal Schools $72,479 284 $17,933
Mesa Vista Consolidated Schools $72,424 243 $20,877
Dora Municipal Schools $72,194 219 $19,493
Lordsburg Municipal Schools $72,064 453 $19,053
Albuquerque Public Schools $71,721 81,762 $15,508
Belen Consolidated Schools $71,655 3,581 $13,914
Texico Municipal Schools $71,206 555 $15,735
West Las Vegas Public Schools $71,127 1,530 $19,682
Gadsden Independent Schools $70,983 12,620 $15,234
Artesia Public Schools $70,862 3,701 $15,172
Portales Municipal Schools $70,837 2,659 $15,222
Bernalillo Public Schools $70,648 2,852 $16,367
Estancia Municipal Schools $70,194 547 $21,514
Aztec Municipal Schools $70,093 2,563 $14,142
Los Lunas Public Schools $69,470 8,203 $12,212
Ruidoso Municipal Schools $69,433 1,830 $14,358
Rio Rancho Public Schools $69,232 17,292 $13,705
Silver Consolidated Schools $69,094 2,306 $14,901
Alamogordo Public Schools $69,091 5,571 $13,070
Espanola Public Schools $68,677 2,988 $15,947
Tucumcari Public Schools $68,585 891 $15,220
Deming Public Schools $68,547 5,352 $14,417
Hatch Valley Public Schools $68,099 1,212 $17,010
Mountainair Public Schools $67,870 222 $23,365
Moriarty-edgewood School District $67,197 2,287 $14,669
Clayton Municipal Schools $66,938 385 $18,935
Bloomfield Schools $66,655 2,568 $14,169
Farmington Municipal Schools $66,596 11,126 $12,424
Chama Valley Indep. Schools $66,352 375 $19,059
Loving Municipal Schools $65,030 623 $20,066
Capitan Municipal Schools $64,905 469 $16,652
Melrose Public Schools $64,575 267 $17,097
Cimarron Municipal Schools $64,097 404 $30,572
Taos Municipal Schools $63,662 2,406 $17,490
Dexter Consolidated Schools $63,459 794 $18,278
Floyd Municipal Schools $63,450 224 $15,661
Pojoaque Valley Public Schools $62,350 1,749 $12,276
Grants-cibola County Schools $61,124 3,178 $16,883
Fort Sumner Municipal Schools $60,410 260 $21,019
Hagerman Municipal Schools $59,387 374 $19,080
Jemez Valley Public Schools $59,382 361 $23,706
Questa Independent Schools $58,864 297 $19,616

Specialized non-enrolling agencies (career/technical centers, county offices, service co-ops) are excluded from the salary ranking, their enrollment-based estimates are not reliable.

Lowest-Paying Districts in New Mexico

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment
Questa Independent Schools $58,864 297
Jemez Valley Public Schools $59,382 361
Hagerman Municipal Schools $59,387 374
Fort Sumner Municipal Schools $60,410 260
Grants-cibola County Schools $61,124 3,178
Pojoaque Valley Public Schools $62,350 1,749
Floyd Municipal Schools $63,450 224
Dexter Consolidated Schools $63,459 794
Taos Municipal Schools $63,662 2,406
Cimarron Municipal Schools $64,097 404

Among enrolling districts (200+ students) with a reliable estimate; service entities excluded, see methodology.

Compare Nearby-Ranked States

Texas
$74,920
Rank #32
Michigan
$74,751
Rank #33
Montana
$73,667
Rank #34
Wisconsin
$71,287
Rank #36

Data: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey, FY2022. Salary figures divide instructional expenditure (variable Z33) by each district's reported teacher FTE, or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure. Not individual salary data. Read our methodology.

New Mexico teacher salary FAQ

What is the average teacher salary in New Mexico?

Across New Mexico's 89 public school districts, the average teacher salary is $72,485 (NCES CCD F-33 finance data divided by CCD Staff Universe Survey teacher headcounts, FY2022). This figure is derived from total instructional spending and runs above survey-reported classroom-teacher-only salaries, read it as a relative comparison.

Which New Mexico school district pays teachers the most?

Jal Public Schools reports the highest average teacher salary in New Mexico at $86,037, while Questa Independent Schools sits at the lower end at $58,864.

How does New Mexico teacher pay compare to the national average?

New Mexico's average of $72,485 is materially below the national average of $85,759 (-15.5%), ranking #35 of 51 US states and territories.

How many school districts are in New Mexico?

New Mexico has 89 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 299,234 students.

Can teachers earn $100,000 in New Mexico?

No New Mexico district with reliable data reports an estimated average teacher salary at or above $100,000; the state's highest is Jal Public Schools at $86,037. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.

How does New Mexico rank after adjusting for cost of living?

Adjusted by the BEA's 2022 Regional Price Parity (90.9, US=100), New Mexico's purchasing-power-adjusted estimated teacher salary is $79,716, ranking #30 of 51 states and territories, higher than its #35 nominal-salary rank. This is a relative state-level price-level comparison, not take-home pay, taxes, or district/metro cost of living.

Related

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Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher Editorial

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. New Mexico's district figures are aggregated directly from each district's FY2022 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2022.