Wages
Wages here are lower than many comparable U.S. metropolitan areas. Combined with good worker productivity and other low costs for employers, this translates to considerable savings for employers. The quality of life in New Mexico outweighs wage scale considerations for many educated workers.
Below is a comparison of the mean annual wage estimate for all combined management occupations between Metro New Mexico and other cities from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2005 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.
Average Annual Pay (US Dept. of Labor) |
| | 2001 | 2005 |
Albuquerque MSA | $31,658 | $34,690 |
Santa Fe MSA | $30,670 | $34,150 |
Avg. U.S. Metro | $37,897 | $37,870 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics |
Comparison of Sample Mean Hourly Wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
2005 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.
| | Albuquerque MSA | Santa Fe MSA | New Mexico | National |
| Accountant | $25.39 | $23.71 | $23.85 | $27.89 |
| Avionics Technicians | $22.97 | NA | $22.89 | $22.57 |
| Carpenter | $10.97 | $16.18 | $13.89 | $18.62 |
| Computer Engineer | $30.44 | $37.51 | $31.62 | $38.24 |
Computer Programmer | $29.67 | $33.56 | $29.47 | $32.40 |
Electronic Assembler | $11.47 | $9.50 | $11.01 | $13.05 |
| First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Production and Operating Workers | $22.83 | $18.58 | $21.65 | $23.66 |
| Human Resources Managers | $33.22 | $31.26 | $30.18 | $43.24 |
| Loan Officers/Financial | $23.13 | $34.34 | $22.41 | $28.53 |
Machinist | $19.98 | NA | $18.88 | $17.00 |
Packaging Machine Operators | $9.29 | $12.01 | $9.20 | $11.94 |
| Team Assemblers/Production | $11.64 | $8.31 | $10.84 | $12.50 |
Welder | $14.01 | $17.40 | $14.57 | $15.52 |
