Albuquerque, NM metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bartender make in Albuquerque, NM?

In the Albuquerque, NM metropolitan area, bartenders earned a median of $37,400 a year ($17.98 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,960 of these jobs there. That is 22% below the $48,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $26,750 and $63,580; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New Mexico tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,575 in take-home pay.

Bartender pay in Albuquerque, NM at a glance

Median salary

$37,400$17.98 per hour · $3,117 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$26,750$12.86/hr
25th percentile$27,320$13.13/hr
75th percentile$50,630$24.34/hr
90th percentile$63,580$30.57/hr
Jobs in this metro1,960Location quotient 0.99 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here22% belowAll-jobs median $48,060
Against New Mexico1% aboveStatewide median $36,980
Against the U.S.9% aboveNational median $34,340

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Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Bartender salary in Albuquerque, NM after taxes

$37,400
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,400
Net 84%
Fed 6%
NM 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,575After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,631Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,214Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,308 / yr
New Mexico state income tax$656 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,861 / yr

Bartenders pay range in Albuquerque, NM, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Albuquerque, NM metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What bartenders earned in the Albuquerque, NM metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NM)
10th percentile$12.86/hr$2,229$26,750$23,428
25th percentile$13.13/hr$2,277$27,320$23,876
MedianMedian$17.98/hr$3,117$37,400$31,575
75th percentile$24.34/hr$4,219$50,630$41,631
90th percentile$30.57/hr$5,298$63,580$51,428

Is $37,400 a good salary in Albuquerque, NM?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for bartenders next to both.

Median household income$70,783Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)95.54.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household52.8%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Do bartenders pay tax on tips?

Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Bartender pay in Albuquerque, NM: common questions

What is the median salary for bartenders in Albuquerque, NM?

The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the Albuquerque, NM metro area was $37,400 in May 2025, about $3,117 a month or $17.98 an hour. Statewide, the New Mexico median for this job is $36,980, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for bartenders in Albuquerque, NM?

The median hourly wage for bartenders in Albuquerque, NM was $17.98 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.86 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.57.

How many bartenders work in Albuquerque, NM?

BLS estimated 1,960 jobs for bartenders in the metro in May 2025, or 4.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.99 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bartenders in Albuquerque, NM?

BLS wage estimates for bartenders in Albuquerque, NM run from $26,750 at the 10th percentile to $27,320 at the 25th, $50,630 at the 75th, and $63,580 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bartenders take home after taxes in Albuquerque, NM?

On a median gross salary of $37,400, an estimated $31,575 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,214 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New Mexico in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,825 (an effective rate of 15.6%).

How much do bartenders make per month in Albuquerque, NM?

On the median annual salary of $37,400, gross monthly income is $3,117. After federal, FICA, and New Mexico state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,631 per month (or $1,214 every two weeks).

Is $37,400 a good salary in Albuquerque, NM?

At $37,400, the median salary for bartenders is 52.8% of the Albuquerque, NM median household income ($70,783). It is 22% below the $48,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.5, so prices here run 4.5% below the U.S. average.