Creative pay 2026
Graphic designer salary in New Mexico (2026)
Graphic designers in New Mexico earn a median $56,730 a year ($27.27 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is close to the US median for the job ($62,960), 36th of 53 states and territories. The median for every job in New Mexico is $47,210, so this pays 20% more than the typical job there.
- $56,730median a year in New Mexico
- $27.27median an hour
- −10%vs the US median ($62,960)
- 850employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a graphic designer in New Mexico?
Half of graphic designers in New Mexico earn between $41,980 and $70,520. Pay is bunched more tightly than nationally: the 90th percentile is 2.1 times the 10th, against 2.7 times across the US.
| 10th percentile | $35,400 | $39,520 | $17.02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $41,980 | $49,040 | $20.18 |
| Median | $56,730 | $62,960 | $27.27 |
| 75th | $70,520 | $81,830 | $33.90 |
| 90th percentile | $75,680 | $104,910 | $36.39 |
The mean (average) is $57,870, above the median, pulled up by the highest earners.
How does New Mexico compare with other states?
New Mexico sits 36th of 53, between Missouri ($56,750) and Nebraska ($56,700).
Which cities in New Mexico pay graphic designers best?
Of the 3 metro areas in New Mexico where BLS publishes a median for the job, Albuquerque pays most, at $63,810, 12% above the state median.
| Albuquerque, NM | 480 | $63,810 | $30.68 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe, NM | 120 | $45,170 | $21.72 |
| Las Cruces, NM | 40 | $43,940 | $21.13 |
How many graphic designers work in New Mexico?
BLS estimates 850 employee jobs, 0.98 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. The job is rarer here than nationally: a location quotient of 0.77, where 1 is the US average.
Employees only. BLS does not count the self-employed, who are a large share of several creative jobs.
What do other creative jobs pay in New Mexico?
Graphic designer is the best-paid of these creative jobs in New Mexico.
| Motion designer | $54,000 | 80 |
|---|---|---|
| UX/UI designer | $53,300 | 200 |
| Video editor | $49,400 | 160 |
| Videographer | $49,050 | 290 |
| Photographer | $48,090 | 230 |
What do freelance graphic designers charge?
Upwork, graphic designers list $15 to $35 an hour, worldwide. New Mexico's employee median of $27.27 an hour is inside that range. The rate calculator works out an hourly rate from the salary you want.
Questions
What is the average graphic designer salary in New Mexico?
The median is $56,730 a year and the mean is $57,870, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 850 employee jobs.
How much does a graphic designer make an hour in New Mexico?
The median hourly wage is $27.27. The bottom 10% earn under $17.02 and the top 10% over $36.39.
What does a starting graphic designer earn in New Mexico?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of graphic designers in New Mexico earn under $41,980 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $35,400, which is the nearest guide to starting pay.
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Where do these numbers come from?
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (published 15 May 2026). Occupation 27-1024, Graphic Designers. Employees only; annual figures are hourly times 2,080.
n = 850 jobs in the New Mexico estimate. Last updated 2 October 2026.
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Graphic designer pay in other states
- District of Columbia $87,920
- Rhode Island $78,220
- New York $77,340
- Massachusetts $76,710
- California $75,130
- Maryland $75,120
- New Jersey $73,790
- Washington $72,710
- Connecticut $72,700
- Virginia $72,310
- Colorado $66,330
- Oregon $66,040