How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Albuquerque, NM?

The median hourly wage is $23.47. The middle half earn between $17.93 and $31.00 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Albuquerque, NM?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $15.00 an hour ($31,190 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $17.93.

Do auto mechanics make more in Albuquerque or Santa Fe?

Santa Fe pays more: the median is $48,820 in Albuquerque and $55,640 in Santa Fe, a 12% difference.

How does Albuquerque pay compare with the rest of New Mexico?

The Albuquerque median of $48,820 is 3% more than the New Mexico median of $47,300.

Auto mechanic salary in Albuquerque, NM

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Albuquerque, NM area earn a median of $48,820 a year, or $23.47 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $79,240. Across all of New Mexico, the median is $47,300, so Albuquerque pays 3% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$48,820

Bottom 10% under$31,190Top 10% over$79,240

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $15.00/hr
Jobs in this area: 2,320
After cost of living: $51,100
Median hourly pay: $23.47/hr
vs U.S. median: −4%
vs New Mexico median: +3%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 10740, Albuquerque, NM). Excludes self-employed auto mechanics. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. *Starting pay is estimated from the 10th percentile; BLS does not report pay by license level.

Entry-level to master auto mechanic pay

Stage	Yearly pay	Hourly pay
Entry level	$31,190–$37,280$15.00–$17.93/hr
Experienced technician	$48,820$23.47/hr
Master / top earners	$64,470–$79,240$31.00–$38.10/hr

Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.

How Albuquerque, NM compares

Albuquerque ranks 2nd of 4 New Mexico metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics are more concentrated in the Albuquerque area than nationally: 5.7 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.3 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $79,240, is 2.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $31,190: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other New Mexico metro areas

Other trades in Albuquerque, NM

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Lineman Plumber Diesel mechanic Carpenter Elevator mechanic Heavy equipment operator Roofer

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Albuquerque, NM?: Auto mechanics in the Albuquerque, NM area earn a median of $48,820 a year, or $23.47 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $79,240.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Albuquerque, NM?: The median hourly wage is $23.47. The middle half earn between $17.93 and $31.00 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Albuquerque, NM?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $15.00 an hour ($31,190 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $17.93.
Do auto mechanics make more in Albuquerque or Santa Fe?: Santa Fe pays more: the median is $48,820 in Albuquerque and $55,640 in Santa Fe, a 12% difference.
How does Albuquerque pay compare with the rest of New Mexico?: The Albuquerque median of $48,820 is 3% more than the New Mexico median of $47,300.

About this data

Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 49-3023 (Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics), area code 10740 (Albuquerque, NM). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed auto mechanics and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (95.5, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures