Listen, if you’ve got a college degree and you’re done with sky-high rent and soul-crushing commutes, New Mexico is low-key one of the best moves you could make right now and there are a variety of great New Mexico jobs. The state’s economy is picking up steam in 2025—unemployment’s sitting around 4%, tourism is back, and places like Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Los Alamos are sucking in federal dollars, tech money, and film crews like never before.
Great New Mexico jobs are out there that pay solid, let you live cheap, and still give you weekends to hike Bandelier or ski Taos. I’ve got buddies who moved from Denver and Austin a couple years ago and they’re all buying land now. Here are the six great New Mexico jobs that keep coming up when I ask “what’s hiring?”
1. Software / Data Engineer
Average pay: $100k–$145k
Los Alamos National Lab, Sandia in Albuquerque, and a growing cluster of defense/tech contractors are desperate for coders. Add in the Netflix and NBCUniversal studios building permanent lots, and you’ve got great New Mexico jobs writing backend for streaming or simulating… well, classified stuff. CS or engineering degree is the ticket.
Why it’s blowing up: Federal contracts are pouring in, and remote/hybrid is standard—so you can live in Santa Fe and work for LANL.
Hot spots: Albuquerque, Los Alamos, White Sands area.
Names hiring hard: Sandia National Laboratories, Intel’s Rio Rancho fab (still huge), or the new film-tech startups.
Friend at Sandia: “I make California money, my mortgage is $1,200, and I’m home by 4:30 to hit the bosque trails.”
2. Registered Nurse (BSN)
Average pay: $80k–$110k + big sign-on bonuses
Presbyterian in Albuquerque, UNM Hospital, and Christus St. Vincent in Santa Fe are in a full-on nurse arms race. Rural spots like Las Cruces and Farmington are offering even crazier money.
Why it’s stupid good: New Mexico has some of the worst nurse shortages in the country, so they’re paying permanent staff traveler rates.
Pro move: Take a rural gig for two years, wipe out your loans, then slide into ABQ or Santa Fe.
3. Aerospace / Systems Engineer
Average pay: $95k–$135k
White Sands Missile Range, Spaceport America, and Virgin Galactic’s ops in Truth or Consequences mean great New Mexico jobs for anyone who can handle trajectories or avionics. Mechanical, electrical, or aerospace degrees rule.
Why it’s hot: Blue Origin and the Air Force are expanding test sites, and clearances aren’t as scary as people think if you’re clean.
Real talk: Overtime and per diem when you’re on-range can push you way over base.
4. Renewable Energy Project Engineer
Average pay: $85k–$120k
New Mexico is going all-in on solar and wind—Pattern Energy, NextEra, and PNM are building massive farms outside Albuquerque and in the southeast.
Why it’s hot: The state’s 2045 carbon-free mandate means billions in projects, and a civil/mechanical/electrical degree gets you interviews tomorrow.
Bonus: Lots of these qualify for PSLF if you go utility-side.
5. Film Production Accountant / Coordinator
Average pay: $70k–$100k (plus per diem on location)
The Netflix studios in Albuquerque and the tax rebates have turned NM into “Tamalewood.” They need degreed folks who can manage budgets, payroll, and incentives for massive shoots.
Why it’s sneaky great: A business or accounting degree works, and you’re basically getting paid to hang around movie sets in the desert.
Hot spots: Albuquerque’s Mesa del Sol studios, Santa Fe, Las Cruces.
6. High School Teacher – Math, Science, SpEd
Average pay: $60k–$85k + loan forgiveness & housing stipends
Albuquerque Public Schools, Santa Fe, and rural districts like Gallup-McKinley are throwing $10k–$20k bonuses at anyone who can teach high-need subjects.
Why people stay: Smaller class sizes than most states, kids who still say “please,” and you’re off by 3:30 with summers to explore Chaco Canyon or float the Rio Grande.
How to Actually Land One of These Great New Mexico Jobs (the real cheat sheet)
- Put “open to relocation to Albuquerque/Santa Fe” in your LinkedIn headline—recruiters search that phrase constantly.
- Hit the New Mexico Workforce Connection job fairs (they’re painfully effective).
- Use www.jobs.state.nm.us, but the real action is the local “Tech & Tacos” meetups in ABQ and the film-industry mixers at I-25 Studios.
- Tailor your resume to show money saved or projects shipped—New Mexico bosses love tangible impact over buzzwords.
Bottom line: You can make serious money, buy a ridiculous adobe with a view, and still have time to ski or stargaze on a random Tuesday. Half my friends who moved here “temporarily” in 2021 just closed on acreage outside Santa Fe. Great New Mexico jobs are real, they’re growing, and the secret’s getting out.
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