Las Cruces, NM metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bartender make in Las Cruces, NM?

In the Las Cruces, NM metropolitan area, bartenders earned a median of $34,470 a year ($16.57 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 270 of these jobs there. That is 18% below the $42,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $24,960 and $63,680; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New Mexico tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,361 in take-home pay.

Bartender pay in Las Cruces, NM at a glance

Median salary

$34,470$16.57 per hour · $2,873 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$24,960$12.00/hr
25th percentile$25,840$12.42/hr
75th percentile$49,860$23.97/hr
90th percentile$63,680$30.61/hr
Jobs in this metro270Location quotient 0.68 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here18% belowAll-jobs median $42,070
Against New Mexico7% belowStatewide median $36,980
Against the U.S.about the same asNational median $34,340

Run the numbers on your own pay

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

Bartender salary in Las Cruces, NM after taxes

$34,470
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,470
Net 85%
Fed 6%
NM 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,361After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,447Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,129Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,956 / yr
New Mexico state income tax$516 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,637 / yr

Bartenders pay range in Las Cruces, NM, hourly and yearly

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

What bartenders earned in the Las Cruces, NM metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NM)
10th percentile$12.00/hr$2,080$24,960$22,020
25th percentile$12.42/hr$2,153$25,840$22,712
MedianMedian$16.57/hr$2,873$34,470$29,361
75th percentile$23.97/hr$4,155$49,860$41,048
90th percentile$30.61/hr$5,307$63,680$51,503

Is $34,470 a good salary in Las Cruces, 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$56,848Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)90.29.8% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household60.6%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 Las Cruces, NM: common questions

What is the median salary for bartenders in Las Cruces, NM?

The BLS median annual wage for bartenders in the Las Cruces, NM metro area was $34,470 in May 2025, about $2,873 a month or $16.57 an hour. Statewide, the New Mexico median for this job is $36,980, so the metro pays 7% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for bartenders in Las Cruces, NM?

The median hourly wage for bartenders in Las Cruces, NM was $16.57 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.61.

How many bartenders work in Las Cruces, NM?

BLS estimated 270 jobs for bartenders in the metro in May 2025, or 3.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.68 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bartenders in Las Cruces, NM?

BLS wage estimates for bartenders in Las Cruces, NM run from $24,960 at the 10th percentile to $25,840 at the 25th, $49,860 at the 75th, and $63,680 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $34,470, an estimated $29,361 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,129 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New Mexico in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,109 (an effective rate of 14.8%).

How much do bartenders make per month in Las Cruces, NM?

On the median annual salary of $34,470, gross monthly income is $2,873. After federal, FICA, and New Mexico state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,447 per month (or $1,129 every two weeks).

Is $34,470 a good salary in Las Cruces, NM?

At $34,470, the median salary for bartenders is 60.6% of the Las Cruces, NM median household income ($56,848). It is 18% below the $42,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 90.2, so prices here run 9.8% below the U.S. average.