The median math teacher salary in New Mexico is $75,900 for high school and $75,240 for middle school, according to May 2025 BLS data. BLS counts teachers of all subjects, including math. Both medians beat the national figures of $72,040 and $64,370, and Projections Central expects slight job growth in the state through 2034.
If you’re checking the math teacher salary in New Mexico before you take a job, three numbers matter: the median for your grade band, how far pay climbs above it, and what each metro area pays. BLS doesn’t track math teachers on their own, so every figure on this page is for high school teachers (SOC 25-2031) and middle school teachers (SOC 25-2022) of all subjects, as of May 2025.
New Mexico Math Teacher Salary by Grade Level
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, high school teachers in New Mexico earned a median annual salary of $75,900 as of May 2025, and middle school teachers earned $75,240. That’s a gap of just $660 between the two grade bands. Nationally the gap is $7,670.
Compared with math teacher earnings nationwide, New Mexico pays well at the middle. The state’s high school median is $3,860 above the national median of $72,040, and its middle school median is $10,870 above the national $64,370.
| Grade Level | Employment | Median Annual Wage | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High School Teachers | 8,120 | $75,900 | $79,550 | $84,170 |
| Middle School Teachers | 4,260 | $75,240 | $77,640 | $82,880 |
Why the Top of the Range Is Lower Here
New Mexico pay is tightly bunched. The 90th percentile for high school teachers is $84,170, only $8,270 above the state median. Nationally, the 90th percentile is $107,600, which is $35,560 above the national median. Even the 75th percentile, $79,550, is less than $4,000 above the median. Expect your pay to sit close to the middle of the range, not far above it.
Part of the reason is how the state sets pay. New Mexico law sets a minimum salary for each of its three license levels (Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3-A), and the legislature raised those minimums in 2022 through Senate Bill 1. Minimums follow your license level, not your grade band, which fits the small gap between middle and high school pay. Before you compare offers, get each district’s current salary schedule and find the row for your license level.
Math Teacher Pay in New Mexico Metro Areas
BLS reports teacher pay for four New Mexico metro areas. Santa Fe has the highest high school median at $77,260, and Las Cruces has the lowest at $75,250, a spread of only $2,010. Albuquerque is where most of the jobs are: 3,360 high school and 1,890 middle school teachers, more than four in ten of the state’s teachers in each band.
High School Teachers
| Metro Area | Employment | Median Annual Wage | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | 3,360 | $76,960 | $81,260 |
| Farmington, NM | 530 | $76,770 | $81,070 |
| Las Cruces, NM | 760 | $75,250 | $75,980 |
| Santa Fe, NM | 630 | $77,260 | $87,630 |
Middle School Teachers
Farmington has the highest middle school median at $76,820. BLS didn’t publish a middle school figure for Santa Fe for May 2025, so this table has three metro areas.
| Metro Area | Employment | Median Annual Wage | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | 1,890 | $75,640 | $80,130 |
| Farmington, NM | 280 | $76,820 | $82,370 |
| Las Cruces, NM | 400 | $72,170 | $74,350 |
How New Mexico Compares With Neighboring States
This table covers every state that borders New Mexico, including Utah, which touches it at the Four Corners. New Mexico ranks second of the six in both grade bands, behind only Utah. These are wages, not cost-of-living adjusted figures.
| State | High School Median | Middle School Median |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | $76,330 | $79,180 |
| New Mexico | $75,900 | $75,240 |
| Colorado | $72,900 | $63,760 |
| Texas | $63,590 | $63,390 |
| Arizona | $58,360 | $59,710 |
| Oklahoma | $48,710 | $48,440 |
Utah’s lead over New Mexico is small for high school teachers ($430) and larger for middle school ($3,940). The gap runs the other way with Texas and Arizona: New Mexico’s high school median is $12,310 above Texas and $17,540 above Arizona. If you’re deciding which side of a border to teach on, see what Texas pays math teachers, Arizona math teacher salaries and Utah’s salary figures by metro area.
Job Outlook for Math Teachers in New Mexico
Projections Central estimates a 3.6% change in employment for high school teachers in New Mexico between 2024 and 2034, from 6,560 jobs to 6,790, with an average of 440 openings per year. For middle school teachers, it estimates a 3.2% change, from 3,990 jobs to 4,120, with about 280 openings per year. The state figures come from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions. Projections use a 2024 base and their own estimating methods, so their job counts won’t match the May 2025 employment columns above.
Nationally, the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects little or no change in employment between 2025 and 2035. High school teacher jobs go from 1,087,500 to 1,085,000, with about 63,500 openings a year. Middle school teacher jobs go from 630,100 to 627,400, with about 38,800 openings a year. Most of those openings come from teachers who retire or leave the profession.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do math teachers make in New Mexico?
High school teachers in New Mexico earned a median annual salary of $75,900 as of May 2025, and middle school teachers earned $75,240, according to the BLS. These figures cover teachers of all subjects, including math.
Do high school math teachers earn more than middle school math teachers in New Mexico?
Only slightly. The high school median is $660 higher than the middle school median in New Mexico, compared with a $7,670 gap nationally. In Farmington, the middle school median ($76,820) is actually a little higher than the high school median ($76,770).
Which New Mexico metro area pays math teachers the most?
For high school teachers, Santa Fe has the highest median at $77,260. For middle school teachers, Farmington is highest at $76,820. BLS didn’t publish a May 2025 middle school figure for Santa Fe.
How does New Mexico math teacher pay compare with neighboring states?
Among New Mexico and the five states that border it, New Mexico ranks second in both grade bands, behind Utah. Its high school median of $75,900 is above Colorado ($72,900), Texas ($63,590), Arizona ($58,360) and Oklahoma ($48,710).
Are math teaching jobs growing in New Mexico?
Slightly. Projections Central estimates a 3.6% change in high school teacher employment and a 3.2% change in middle school teacher employment in New Mexico between 2024 and 2034, with about 440 and 280 openings a year.
- Statewide pay: New Mexico’s median salary was $75,900 for high school teachers and $75,240 for middle school teachers as of May 2025.
- Grade band barely matters: The two medians are $660 apart in New Mexico, compared with $7,670 nationally.
- Tight range: The high school 90th percentile is $84,170, well below the national $107,600, so pay clusters near the median.
- Regional standing: Of New Mexico and the five states that border it, only Utah has higher medians in either grade band.
- Job outlook: Projections Central estimates about 440 high school and 280 middle school openings a year in New Mexico through 2034.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Middle School Teachers and High School Teachers, which include teachers of all subjects. Job growth projections (2024-2034) are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed October 2026. National job outlook figures (2025-2035) are from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Since New Mexico pays middle and high school teachers almost the same, pick your grade band for the students you want to teach, then pick a program that fits your schedule. The schools listed here include online math education programs you can start while you keep your current job.