Jobs, pay and daily life in Roswell, 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.
Roswell is a city in New Mexico with 47,638 residents. The median household earns $51,583 a year and the median rent is $876 a month, which is 20.4% 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 Roswell compares. Among the 40 largest places in New Mexico, Roswell is #5 by population, #29 for remote work (#1 = most), #13 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #27 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Chaves County, is #18 of 33 counties for average pay ($47,769).
Roswell has 47,638 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 2.2% of the population of New Mexico. It covers 30 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,603 people per square mile. The median age is 37.1, 6% younger than the state median (37.1 against 39.4).
The median gross rent is $876 a month (rent plus utilities), 18% below the state median ($876 against $1,067). Over a year that is 20.4% 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 $152,600, which is 3.0 times the median household income ($51,583); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 68.6% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (68.6% against 70.0%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Chaves County was 4.8%. 55.2% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Chaves County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 81.8% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 1.3% walk, 5.0% work from home. 10.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 17% below the state average (10.6% against 12.8%).
18.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 40% below the state share (18.6% against 31.0%). 11.2% of residents were born outside the United States, 19% above the state share (11.2% against 9.4%). The poverty rate is 26.0%, 46% above the state rate (26.0% against 17.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 83°F (28.4°C), and the coolest is Jan at 41°F (5.2°C). About 312 mm (12 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Aug is the wettest month (53 mm) and Jan the driest (9 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 (37 miles, rent 47% higher); Ruidoso (66 miles, rent 8% higher); Carlsbad (69 miles, rent 41% higher); Lovington (74 miles, rent 16% higher). Rent differences are against Roswell; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in New Mexico (864) →State guide: New MexicoCountry guideChaves 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 | 25.0% |
| Retail trade | 13.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 11.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.9% |
| Public administration | 6.8% |
| Construction | 6.2% |
| Manufacturing | 6.0% |
| Other services | 5.6% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 4.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.9% |
| Information | 1.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Roswell 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaves County | 64,217 | $2,866 million | $44,624 | 21,658 | 1,805 | $47,769 | +1.8% | 4.8% | 27,784 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 3,714 | 21.6% | $46,176 | 1.20 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,136 | 18.2% | $22,426 | 1.59 |
| Retail trade | 2,887 | 16.8% | $34,986 | 1.33 |
| Wholesale trade | 885 | 5.1% | $51,274 | 1.04 |
| Manufacturing | 880 | 5.1% | $60,757 | 0.49 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 874 | 5.1% | $45,698 | 4.99 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 826 | 4.8% | $51,865 | 0.90 |
| Construction | 705 | 4.1% | $54,102 | 0.62 |
| Professional and technical services | 590 | 3.4% | $57,891 | 0.39 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 565 | 3.3% | $109,705 | 6.90 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 526 | 3.1% | $33,595 | 0.81 |
| Administrative and waste services | 516 | 3.0% | $44,573 | 0.40 |
| Finance and insurance | 463 | 2.7% | $63,694 | 0.53 |
| Real estate and rental | 177 | 1.0% | $42,839 | 0.53 |
| Information | 154 | 0.9% | $40,408 | 0.38 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 120 | 0.7% | $23,127 | 0.33 |
| Utilities | 77 | 0.4% | $68,048 | 0.94 |
| Management of companies | 75 | 0.4% | $111,823 | 0.21 |
| Educational services | 49 | 0.3% | $19,905 | 0.11 |
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 | 81.8% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 1.3% |
| Work from home | 5.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 10.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,583 |
| Income per person | $29,093 |
| Median gross rent per month | $876 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 20.4% |
| Median home value | $152,600 |
| Homeowners | 68.6% |
| Poverty rate | 26.0% |
| 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 | 37.1 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 81.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 18.6% |
| Born abroad | 11.2% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 55.2% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.2 | 41 | 9 |
| Feb | 7.6 | 46 | 10 |
| Mar | 12.5 | 54 | 15 |
| Apr | 17.2 | 63 | 14 |
| May | 22.2 | 72 | 26 |
| Jun | 27.8 | 82 | 28 |
| Jul | 28.4 | 83 | 50 |
| Aug | 27.5 | 82 | 53 |
| Sep | 23.3 | 74 | 52 |
| Oct | 16.9 | 62 | 34 |
| Nov | 10.1 | 50 | 11 |
| Dec | 5.3 | 42 | 10 |
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 | 37 mi | 12,576 | $74,915 | $1,288 |
| Ruidoso | NM | 66 mi | 7,699 | $52,736 | $944 |
| Carlsbad | NM | 69 mi | 31,746 | $72,306 | $1,236 |
| Lovington | NM | 74 mi | 11,498 | $68,821 | $1,014 |
| Portales | NM | 87 mi | 11,968 | $50,555 | $903 |
| Alamogordo | NM | 90 mi | 31,307 | $55,952 | $902 |
| Hobbs | NM | 91 mi | 40,252 | $64,021 | $1,112 |
| North Hobbs | NM | 91 mi | 6,034 | $82,554 | $1,319 |
| Clovis | NM | 106 mi | 37,942 | $54,820 | $988 |
| Chaparral | NM | 143 mi | 18,186 | $46,017 | $853 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
47,638 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$876 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 20.4% of the median household income.
$51,583 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.8% (BLS county, Chaves County (latest month 2026M09)).
New Mexico. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.