Jobs, pay and daily life in Santa Fe, 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.
Santa Fe is a city in New Mexico with 89,019 residents. The median household earns $73,482 a year and the median rent is $1,463 a month, which is 23.9% of the median household income. It is part of the Santa Fe, NM metropolitan area, where BLS counts 61,770 jobs.
How Santa Fe compares. Among the 40 largest places in New Mexico, Santa Fe is #4 by population, #39 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #3 for college degrees (#1 = most), #4 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Santa Fe County, is #5 of 33 counties for average pay ($61,218).
Santa Fe has 89,019 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 4.2% of the population of New Mexico. It covers 52 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,704 people per square mile. The median age is 46.3, 18% older than the state median (46.3 against 39.4).
The median gross rent is $1,463 a month (rent plus utilities), 37% above the state median ($1,463 against $1,067). Over a year that is 23.9% 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 $444,900, which is 6.1 times the median household income ($73,482); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 63.6% of households own their home, 9% below the state average (63.6% against 70.0%).
The Santa Fe, NM metropolitan area has 61,770 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $48,710 a year, 4% below the national median ($48,710 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (8,610 jobs, median $47,460); food preparation and serving related (8,280 jobs, median $36,160); sales and related (5,540 jobs, median $36,880). The area is most specialised in food preparation and serving related (1.5 times) and office and administrative support (1.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are office and administrative support ($47,460) and sales and related ($36,880). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Santa Fe County was 4.3%. 60.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Santa Fe County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 68.6% drive alone, 1.1% use public transit, 2.7% walk, 17.3% work from home. 11.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 12% below the state average (11.2% against 12.8%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
47.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 54% above the state share (47.8% against 31.0%). 15.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 63% above the state share (15.3% against 9.4%). The poverty rate is 12.9%, 28% below the state rate (12.9% against 17.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 75°F (23.9°C), and the coolest is Jan at 31°F (-0.3°C). About 338 mm (13 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (62 mm) and Feb the driest (17 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: Los Alamos (24 miles, rent 7% lower); Española (24 miles, rent 43% lower); Edgewood (39 miles, rent 24% lower); Bernalillo (40 miles, rent 38% lower). Rent differences are against Santa Fe; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in New Mexico (864) →State guide: New MexicoCountry guideSanta Fe 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.
Open federal jobs in New Mexico →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,410 | 3.55 | $50,170 | $36,820 | $75,940 | +6% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,320 | 1.50 | $35,960 | $30,080 | $51,530 | +2% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,950 | 1.27 | $30,810 | $29,650 | $39,520 | -1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,680 | 1.87 | $46,640 | $28,900 | $78,210 | +32% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,630 | 1.17 | $106,770 | $55,440 | $199,990 | +1% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,470 | 0.86 | $31,540 | $26,730 | $40,660 | -12% |
| Cashiers | 1,350 | 1.10 | $34,900 | $29,820 | $43,470 | +6% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,180 | 1.05 | $36,200 | $31,040 | $46,230 | -3% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,100 | 1.96 | $37,250 | $30,580 | $45,720 | -0% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,090 | 0.81 | $100,790 | $74,300 | $131,830 | +3% |
| Office Clerks, General | 890 | 0.91 | $36,130 | $27,750 | $51,900 | -20% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 850 | 1.97 | $67,560 | $49,570 | $114,720 | -19% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 830 | 0.80 | $41,000 | $31,200 | $59,950 | -8% |
| Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 800 | 2.33 | $33,600 | $30,030 | $47,560 | -5% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 790 | 0.90 | $36,760 | $30,710 | $47,810 | -0% |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 770 | 2.04 | $43,220 | $33,440 | $55,490 | +10% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 690 | 1.14 | $43,850 | $30,980 | $60,850 | -12% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 670 | 1.49 | $49,120 | $36,790 | $78,590 | +1% |
| Security Guards | 630 | 1.23 | $40,980 | $32,000 | $60,600 | +8% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 630 | 1.50 | $77,260 | $59,430 | $87,630 | +7% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers | 530 | 1.77 | $122,430 | $90,000 | $179,210 | -23% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,630 | 1.17 | $106,770 | $55,440 | $199,990 | +1% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,090 | 0.81 | $100,790 | $74,300 | $131,830 | +3% |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | 600 | 3.30 | $81,410 | $54,140 | $95,680 | +6% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 630 | 1.50 | $77,260 | $59,430 | $87,630 | +7% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 620 | 1.08 | $72,780 | $55,230 | $118,290 | -13% |
| Management Analysts | 540 | 1.52 | $68,560 | $56,200 | $124,280 | -33% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 850 | 1.97 | $67,560 | $49,570 | $114,720 | -19% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 610 | 1.07 | $65,760 | $44,240 | $97,360 | -5% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 560 | 1.02 | $50,890 | $36,460 | $76,220 | +0% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,410 | 3.55 | $50,170 | $36,820 | $75,940 | +6% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 670 | 1.49 | $49,120 | $36,790 | $78,590 | +1% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 600 | 1.24 | $47,290 | $35,360 | $67,920 | +7% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,680 | 1.87 | $46,640 | $28,900 | $78,210 | +32% |
| Bartenders | 530 | 1.76 | $44,250 | $27,590 | $65,640 | +29% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 690 | 1.14 | $43,850 | $30,980 | $60,850 | -12% |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 770 | 2.04 | $43,220 | $33,440 | $55,490 | +10% |
| Construction Laborers | 530 | 1.21 | $41,980 | $32,110 | $56,210 | -11% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 830 | 0.80 | $41,000 | $31,200 | $59,950 | -8% |
| Security Guards | 630 | 1.23 | $40,980 | $32,000 | $60,600 | +8% |
These figures are for the whole Santa Fe, NM metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $48,710 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.3% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 16.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 13.1% |
| Retail trade | 10.9% |
| Public administration | 8.5% |
| Construction | 6.6% |
| Other services | 6.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.0% |
| Manufacturing | 3.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 2.5% |
| Information | 1.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.5% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Santa Fe 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe County | 156,105 | $10,087 million | $64,614 | 61,826 | 6,768 | $61,218 | +1.2% | 4.3% | 71,445 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 9,916 | 21.2% | $34,023 | 1.76 |
| Health care and social assistance | 8,289 | 17.7% | $70,150 | 0.94 |
| Retail trade | 8,246 | 17.7% | $41,135 | 1.34 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,923 | 6.3% | $100,597 | 0.68 |
| Construction | 2,884 | 6.2% | $55,223 | 0.89 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,561 | 5.5% | $58,606 | 1.38 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,964 | 4.2% | $45,844 | 0.54 |
| Educational services | 1,940 | 4.2% | $53,638 | 1.52 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,788 | 3.8% | $61,120 | 1.72 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,427 | 3.1% | $135,158 | 0.57 |
| Wholesale trade | 911 | 2.0% | $76,797 | 0.37 |
| Information | 828 | 1.8% | $96,845 | 0.71 |
| Real estate and rental | 806 | 1.7% | $59,473 | 0.84 |
| Manufacturing | 801 | 1.7% | $50,059 | 0.16 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 713 | 1.5% | $48,942 | 0.27 |
| Management of companies | 310 | 0.7% | $94,770 | 0.30 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 247 | 0.5% | $41,701 | 0.49 |
| Utilities | 113 | 0.2% | $101,466 | 0.48 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 35 | 0.1% | $140,568 | 0.15 |
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 | 68.6% |
| Public transit | 1.1% |
| Walk | 2.7% |
| Work from home | 17.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 11.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,482 |
| Income per person | $50,299 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,463 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 23.9% |
| Median home value | $444,900 |
| Homeowners | 63.6% |
| Poverty rate | 12.9% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 98.8 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $48,710 |
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 | 46.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 91.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 47.8% |
| Born abroad | 15.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 60.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.3 | 31 | 19 |
| Feb | 1.7 | 35 | 17 |
| Mar | 6.3 | 43 | 18 |
| Apr | 10.7 | 51 | 19 |
| May | 16.1 | 61 | 20 |
| Jun | 22.5 | 72 | 19 |
| Jul | 23.9 | 75 | 62 |
| Aug | 22.4 | 72 | 50 |
| Sep | 18.3 | 65 | 41 |
| Oct | 11.4 | 53 | 30 |
| Nov | 4.8 | 41 | 19 |
| Dec | -0.2 | 32 | 24 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Alamos | NM | 24 mi | 13,317 | $141,018 | $1,359 |
| Española | NM | 24 mi | 10,473 | $47,667 | $829 |
| Edgewood | NM | 39 mi | 6,124 | $84,761 | $1,114 |
| Bernalillo | NM | 40 mi | 9,086 | $63,880 | $902 |
| Las Vegas | NM | 43 mi | 13,000 | $45,125 | $792 |
| Corrales | NM | 47 mi | 8,555 | $102,307 | $1,143 |
| Rio Rancho | NM | 48 mi | 108,515 | $89,596 | $1,514 |
| North Valley | NM | 49 mi | 10,455 | $61,498 | $893 |
| Albuquerque | NM | 54 mi | 562,218 | $68,317 | $1,145 |
| Taos | NM | 55 mi | 6,458 | $47,304 | $883 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
89,019 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,463 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 23.9% of the median household income.
$73,482 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.3% (BLS county, Santa Fe County (latest month 2026M09)).
New Mexico. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.