Jobs, pay and daily life in Carlsbad, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Carlsbad is a city in New Mexico with 31,746 residents. The median household earns $72,306 a year and the median rent is $1,236 a month, which is 20.5% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Carlsbad compares. Among the 40 largest places in New Mexico, Carlsbad is #10 by population, #34 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #8 for household income (#1 = highest), #13 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Eddy County, is #2 of 33 counties for average pay ($76,419).
Carlsbad has 31,746 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.5% of the population of New Mexico. It covers 32 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,003 people per square mile. The median age is 36.7, 7% younger than the state median (36.7 against 39.4).
The median gross rent is $1,236 a month (rent plus utilities), 16% above the state median ($1,236 against $1,067). Over a year that is 20.5% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $200,000, which is 2.8 times the median household income ($72,306); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 70.2% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (70.2% against 70.0%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Eddy County was 3.6%. 61.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Eddy County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 79.5% drive alone, 0.3% use public transit, 1.3% walk, 5.7% work from home. 14.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 15% above the state average (14.8% against 12.8%).
19.2% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 38% below the state share (19.2% against 31.0%). 8.6% of residents were born outside the United States, 8% below the state share (8.6% against 9.4%). The poverty rate is 13.8%, 23% below the state rate (13.8% against 17.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 83°F (28.5°C), and the coolest is Jan at 43°F (6.2°C). About 304 mm (12 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Sep is the wettest month (59 mm) and Jan the driest (8 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Artesia (33 miles, rent 4% higher); Lovington (64 miles, rent 18% lower); Hobbs (67 miles, rent 10% lower); Roswell (69 miles, rent 29% lower). Rent differences are against Carlsbad; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in New Mexico (864) →State guide: New MexicoCountry guideEddy CountyNew Mexico rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 864 federal postings open in New Mexico (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 15.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 15.2% |
| Retail trade | 12.9% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 12.1% |
| Construction | 10.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.3% |
| Public administration | 6.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.5% |
| Other services | 4.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.3% |
| Manufacturing | 3.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.0% |
| Information | 1.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Carlsbad lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eddy County | 61,105 | $11,319 million | $185,239 | 32,197 | 1,976 | $76,419 | +3.3% | 3.6% | 32,691 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mining, oil and gas | 6,741 | 23.9% | $109,698 | 55.35 |
| Retail trade | 3,478 | 12.3% | $38,820 | 1.08 |
| Construction | 3,402 | 12.0% | $82,166 | 2.01 |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,767 | 9.8% | $52,169 | 0.60 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,453 | 8.7% | $28,476 | 0.84 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,704 | 6.0% | $100,612 | 0.90 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,413 | 5.0% | $79,839 | 1.04 |
| Manufacturing | 1,194 | 4.2% | $105,839 | 0.45 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,043 | 3.7% | $66,715 | 1.08 |
| Professional and technical services | 736 | 2.6% | $79,528 | 0.33 |
| Wholesale trade | 705 | 2.5% | $92,673 | 0.56 |
| Real estate and rental | 687 | 2.4% | $82,710 | 1.37 |
| Finance and insurance | 518 | 1.8% | $75,261 | 0.40 |
| Utilities | 484 | 1.7% | $109,361 | 3.95 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 353 | 1.2% | $55,495 | 1.35 |
| Information | 198 | 0.7% | $67,872 | 0.33 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 166 | 0.6% | $27,364 | 0.31 |
| Educational services | 116 | 0.4% | $44,406 | 0.17 |
| Management of companies | 101 | 0.4% | $95,011 | 0.19 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 79.5% |
| Public transit | 0.3% |
| Walk | 1.3% |
| Work from home | 5.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 14.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,306 |
| Income per person | $38,402 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,236 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 20.5% |
| Median home value | $200,000 |
| Homeowners | 70.2% |
| Poverty rate | 13.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 5.90%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 36.7 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 81.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 19.2% |
| Born abroad | 8.6% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 61.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.2 | 43 | 8 |
| Feb | 8.6 | 47 | 10 |
| Mar | 13.4 | 56 | 14 |
| Apr | 18.0 | 64 | 13 |
| May | 23.0 | 73 | 21 |
| Jun | 28.2 | 83 | 27 |
| Jul | 28.5 | 83 | 54 |
| Aug | 27.8 | 82 | 49 |
| Sep | 23.6 | 74 | 59 |
| Oct | 17.8 | 64 | 28 |
| Nov | 11.1 | 52 | 12 |
| Dec | 6.4 | 44 | 9 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artesia | NM | 33 mi | 12,576 | $74,915 | $1,288 |
| Lovington | NM | 64 mi | 11,498 | $68,821 | $1,014 |
| Hobbs | NM | 67 mi | 40,252 | $64,021 | $1,112 |
| Roswell | NM | 69 mi | 47,638 | $51,583 | $876 |
| North Hobbs | NM | 70 mi | 6,034 | $82,554 | $1,319 |
| Alamogordo | NM | 106 mi | 31,307 | $55,952 | $902 |
| Ruidoso | NM | 106 mi | 7,699 | $52,736 | $944 |
| West Odessa | TX | 109 mi | 32,594 | $65,234 | $891 |
| Odessa | TX | 117 mi | 115,322 | $73,472 | $1,315 |
| Midland | TX | 127 mi | 136,640 | $89,585 | $1,434 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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31,746 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,236 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 20.5% of the median household income.
$72,306 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.6% (BLS county, Eddy County (latest month 2026M09)).
New Mexico. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.