Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in New Mexico
$37,130avg. a year
$17.85 an hour · 3,160 employed
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in New Mexico earn an average of $37,130 a year. That is $1,680 (4%) less than the U.S. average of $38,810. The best-paying metro area is Santa Fe, NM at $41,790.
$36,470Median pay
$17.85Average hourly
+42%Avg. pay since 2020
#33Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying New Mexico metro areas
Average pay for cooks, institution and cafeteria by metro area. Swipe to see all 4.
1170 jobs
Santa Fe, NM
$41,790
$20.09 an hour
21,160 jobs
Albuquerque, NM
$38,390
$18.46 an hour
3250 jobs
Farmington, NM
$37,610
$18.08 an hour
4350 jobs
Las Cruces, NM
$36,070
$17.34 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in New Mexico, charted
Pay over time
New Mexico, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where New Mexico cooks, institution and cafeteria work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Related jobs in New Mexico
- Cooks, Restaurant$35,070
- Food Preparation Workers$32,880
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$30,260
- Waiters and Waitresses$43,210
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$43,660
- Bartenders$41,500
Average pay, New Mexico, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do cooks, institution and cafeteria make in New Mexico?
The average is $37,130 a year, and the median is $36,470. That is $1,680 (4%) less than the U.S. average of $38,810.
What is the hourly wage in New Mexico?
$17.85 an hour on average; the median is $17.54.
Where in New Mexico do they earn the most?
Santa Fe, NM ($41,790), followed by Albuquerque, NM ($38,390). The lowest average among 4 metro areas with data is Las Cruces, NM ($36,070).
How does New Mexico rank?
New Mexico ranks #33 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-2012. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national cooks, institution and cafeteria page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.