What do the trades pay in New Mexico?
Median hourly pay, May 20251. Pick a trade for training, pay and the license.
Electrician
Wiring, panels and fixtures
$28.07/hrNew Mexico median
Plumber
Water, drain and gas lines
$29.54/hrNew Mexico median
HVAC tech
Heating, cooling and ductwork
$24.17/hrNew Mexico median
Roofer
New roofs and repairs
$21.78/hrNew Mexico median
General contractor
Runs the job and the crews
$36.12/hrNew Mexico median, construction supervisors
Is there work in New Mexico?
Construction jobs in New Mexico, September 2026: 57,900, up 5.3% from a year earlier.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026New homes permitted in New Mexico, September 2026: 743, up 36.3% from a year earlier.
Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026People working in these five trades in New Mexico: 17,750.
BLS OEWS, May 2025Who licenses contractors in New Mexico?
New Mexico licenses general contractors and the electrical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing trades at the state level.2
State board NM Regulation and Licensing Dept
- ElectricalState license
- PlumbingState license
- HVACState license
- RoofingState license
- General contractorState license
Check a New Mexico contractor
Search the license on the board's own site.
Training near you
Apprentices are hired first and paid while they learn on the job and in class. Trade school comes first and charges tuition.
Apprenticeships in New Mexico
Trade schools in New Mexico
Where to train and find work near you
Union locals take apprenticeship applications and send members out to union contractors. Open-shop chapters run apprenticeship classes for the people their member contractors hire.
IBEW union locals
- IBEW Local 611Albuquerque(505) 343-0611
- IBEW Local 583Office in El Paso, TX(915) 877-9166
Electrical training centers (JATCs)
- NM JATC for the Electrical Industry4501 Montbel Loop NE, Albuquerque(505) 341-4444
IEC chapters (open shop)
- Southern New Mexico IEC2215 C S. Main St Las Cruces(575) 494-5002
- Northern New Mexico IEC7021 Jefferson St., NE, Unit B Albuquerque(505) 266-6458
UA union locals
- UA Local 412Albuquerque(505) 265-1513
Training
UA apprenticeships run through a joint committee of the local and union contractors. Call the local for the next application date.
PHCC chapters
No PHCC chapter lists an office in New Mexico. PHCC chapter finder
SMART union locals
- SMART Local 49Albuquerque(505) 266-5878
Sheet metal training centers
- SMART LU 49 JATC (New Mexico/West TX)2300 Buena Vista SE; Suite 128, Albuquerque(505) 242-4262
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
No PHCC chapter lists an office in New Mexico. ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in New Mexico.
Carpenters union locals
- Carpenters Local 1319Albuquerque
Training
Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder
Home builder associations
- New Mexico Home Builders Association4100 Wolcott Ave NE Ste B, Albuquerque(505) 344-7072
- Building Contractors Association of Southeastern New Mexico5931 OFFICE BLVD NE STE 1, ALBUQUERQUE(505) 344-7072
- Builders & Contractors Association of Otero CountyPO Box 4382, Alamogordo(575) 491-2901
- HBA of Central New Mexico4100 Wolcott Ave NE Ste B, Albuquerque(505) 344-3294
- Lincoln County HBAPO Box 2769, Ruidoso
- Santa Fe Area HBA2520 Camino Entrada Ste B, Santa Fe(505) 982-1774
1 more chapters
- SW New Mexico HBAPO Box 1962, Silver City(575) 574-2523
Roofers union locals
No Roofers local has its office in New Mexico. Search the Roofers union website.
Training
Roofers locals run their apprenticeship through a joint committee with union contractors.
Contractor associations
The national trade group for roofing contractors is the National Roofing Contractors Association.
Trade schools: where to apply
- Central New Mexico Community College525 Buena Vista Dr SE, Albuquerque
- New Mexico State University-Dona Ana2800 N. Sonoma Ranch Blvd., Las CrucesElectrical programHVAC programConstruction program
- Navajo Technical UniversityLower Point Road, State Road 371, CrownpointElectrical programPlumbing programConstruction program
- Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus52 University Blvd, RoswellHVAC program
- University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus705 Gurley Ave., GallupConstruction program
- University of New Mexico-Taos Campus1157 County Road 110, Ranchos de Taos
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, New Mexico, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)
- NM Regulation and Licensing Dept - Construction Industries Division (CID) (rld.nm.gov)
- New Mexico lien law: NMSA 48-2-2.1(A)-(E) (nmonesource.com)
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (field of study and institution data) (collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026 (bls.gov)
- Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026 (census.gov)
- FEMA disaster declarations, Oct 26, 2026 (fema.gov)