Counties in New Mexico by average weekly wage (QCEW)
Los Alamos County had the highest average weekly wage (QCEW) of 33 counties in 2021, at $1,861. Catron County had the lowest, at $689. The median was $801 and the figure for New Mexico was $1,010. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Map of counties, 2021
- Under 730
- 730 to 780
- 780 to 800
- 800 to 850
- 850 to 960
- 960 and over
All counties, 2021
Full ranking
| Rank | Counties | 2021 | Change on 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Alamos County | 1,861 | +2.3% |
| 2 | Eddy County | 1,295 | +3.1% |
| 3 | Lea County | 1,072 | +5% |
| 4 | Bernalillo County | 1,064 | +3.3% |
| 5 | Santa Fe County | 1,020 | +6.6% |
| 6 | San Juan County | 963 | +5.7% |
| 7 | Sandoval County | 959 | +4.6% |
| 8 | Grant County | 924 | +11.2% |
| 9 | Hidalgo County | 916 | +4.4% |
| 10 | Torrance County | 892 | +16.1% |
| 11 | Otero County | 869 | +5.5% |
| 12 | Socorro County | 847 | +3.9% |
| 13 | Doña Ana County | 844 | +3.6% |
| 14 | Rio Arriba County | 816 | +3.2% |
| 15 | Harding County | 811 | +11.2% |
| 16 | Sierra County | 808 | +11.1% |
| 17 | McKinley County | 801 | +1.9% |
| 18 | Cibola County | 800 | +0.4% |
| 19 | Chaves County | 791 | +3.8% |
| 20 | Valencia County | 788 | +5.9% |
| 21 | Curry County | 787 | +3% |
| 22 | Luna County | 785 | +4.9% |
| 23 | Roosevelt County | 780 | +4.4% |
| 24 | Union County | 774 | +4.6% |
| 25 | Guadalupe County | 760 | +18% |
| 26 | Taos County | 748 | +6.9% |
| 27 | Mora County | 733 | +5.6% |
| 28 | Lincoln County | 726 | -0.1% |
| 28 | Quay County | 726 | +3.4% |
| 30 | De Baca County | 722 | +1.8% |
| 31 | Colfax County | 720 | +0.4% |
| 31 | San Miguel County | 720 | +6.4% |
| 33 | Catron County | 689 | +5.2% |
Other periods
About this ranking
Total wages paid during the year divided by the average number of covered jobs and by 52, in US dollars, all industries, private and government, from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Counted where the job is located, from the reports employers file each quarter; monthly employment counts the jobs in the pay period that includes the 12th.
In current dollars, not adjusted for inflation. An average per job, so part-time jobs pull it down and high earners pull it up; for the typical job use median_annual_wage. Wages include bonuses, stock options exercised, severance pay and tips, which makes counties with corporate headquarters stand out. Covers about 95 percent of US wage and salary jobs. Excludes the self-employed, most agricultural workers on small farms, the armed forces, elected officials in most states, most railroad employees, some domestic workers and most student workers at schools.
Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.
How to cite
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.Citation styles
APA 7
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties (Counties in New Mexico by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv
MLA 9
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in New Mexico by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2021. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/new-mexico-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.
Chicago (author-date)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Counties in New Mexico by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/new-mexico-counties?period=2021.
Harvard
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in New Mexico by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/new-mexico-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_new_mexico_2021,
author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
title = {{Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in New Mexico by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2021}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Data set},
url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv},
urldate = {2026-10-12},
note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/new-mexico-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY - DATA
AU - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI - Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in New Mexico by average weekly wage (QCEW), 2021
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/21
PB - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB - Invokely
UR - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv
L2 - https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/new-mexico-counties?period=2021
Y2 - 2026/10/12
N1 - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/average-weekly-wage/new-mexico-counties?period=2021.
N1 - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2021/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER -
Use this data in your AI agent
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Rank Counties in New Mexico by average weekly wage (QCEW) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"average_weekly_wage","level":"province","within":"New Mexico","limit":10}
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Which county has the highest average weekly wage (QCEW)?
Los Alamos County, with $1,861 in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Which county has the lowest average weekly wage (QCEW)?
Catron County, with $689 in 2021.
Where does this ranking come from?
Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average weekly wage, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
Average weekly wage (QCEW): other rankings
Counties in New Mexico: more rankings
- Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)
- Poverty rate (US official measure)
- Per capita personal income
- Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)
- Fair Market Rent, two bedrooms (HUD, monthly)
- Households
- Labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)
- Fair Market Rent, efficiency (HUD, monthly)