Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in New Mexico (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in New Mexico was $47,210 in May 2025, below the U.S. median of $50,980.
- The best-paid job here that typically needs only a high school diploma or less was first-line supervisors of police and detectives, at a median of $92,200.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians at $96,070.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in New Mexico. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for New Mexico) and the education level BLS lists as typical for entry into each job (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35), here are the best-paying jobs in the state that don’t require a bachelor’s degree. New Mexico had about 870,970 wage and salary jobs in the survey.
Top-paying jobs that need a high school diploma or less
Jobs with at least 1,000 positions in the state, ranked by median annual wage. The last column shows the national median for comparison.
| Occupation | New Mexico median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $92,200 | 1,320 | $106,040 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $86,840 | 2,020 | $93,790 |
| Wellhead Pumpers | $78,010 | 1,060 | $69,960 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $77,550 | 3,780 | $79,860 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $76,470 | 1,020 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $75,130 | 6,790 | $79,920 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $73,890 | 2,800 | $76,590 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $69,180 | 4,580 | $76,210 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $67,930 | 1,280 | $78,000 |
| Food Service Managers | $65,210 | 1,410 | $69,390 |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | $64,990 | 2,600 | $58,160 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $64,640 | 2,520 | $74,450 |
Many of these jobs pay well because they come with long on-the-job training, licensing, physical risk or irregular hours. Several are skilled trades that train through paid apprenticeships.
Top-paying jobs that need a certificate or associate’s degree
Jobs where BLS lists a postsecondary certificate, some college or an associate’s degree as the typical entry credential:
| Occupation | New Mexico median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $96,070 | 1,000 | $78,190 |
| Dental Hygienists | $95,940 | 1,420 | $98,100 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $79,940 | 1,150 | $80,110 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $64,550 | 1,300 | $76,220 |
| Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers | $63,600 | 1,100 | $63,890 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $59,840 | 1,740 | $62,890 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $59,330 | 2,460 | $64,400 |
| Medical Records Specialists | $57,470 | 1,400 | $51,140 |
The most common jobs in New Mexico, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $28,520 | 38,910 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,700 | 28,250 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $46,450 | 25,430 |
| Retail Salespersons | $33,300 | 23,800 |
| Cashiers | $30,120 | 19,020 |
| Registered Nurses | $94,340 | 17,980 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,030 | 16,950 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $35,830 | 16,540 |
How to use these numbers
- Medians are midpoints. Half of workers in each job earn more and half earn less; new workers usually start well below the median.
- Overtime is not included. BLS wage estimates exclude overtime pay and shift differentials, so jobs with heavy overtime often pay more in practice (see the OEWS technical notes).
- Check the training path. “Typical entry education” is what most new workers have; licenses and apprenticeships may still be required.
Published October 28, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
One more data point from the same survey: the occupation most concentrated in New Mexico relative to the nation is computer hardware engineers, with a location quotient of 12.25. That means those jobs make up about 12.25 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 5,260 of them locally, at a median of $165,350. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for New Mexico. Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk