Dentist Salary in New Mexico: What Dentists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$118,560
Median (50th)
$155,260
75th percentile
$226,330
National median
$170,950
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1021), May 2025
What does a dentist make in New Mexico?
The median dentist in New Mexico earns $155,260 a year ($74.64 an hour), which is $15,690 below the national median of $170,950, but less than in nearby Arizona ($194,180), Colorado ($166,240) and Oklahoma ($166,170). The mean is $185,010.
That ranks 42nd of the 47 states where BLS publishes a dentist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in New Mexico
The middle half of New Mexico dentists earn $118,560 to $226,330. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $101,180, $14,930 above the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $306,320, $13,310 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in New Mexico
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts New Mexico's 2024 price level at 92.2 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 7.8% below the national average, and housing (index 73.6) runs 26.4% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $155,260 median is worth about $168,370 — $2,580 below the national median of $170,950.
How many dentists work in New Mexico
BLS counts about 780 dentist jobs in New Mexico, 0.6% of the 124,390 nationwide, or 0.893 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dentists hold a 12% larger share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 1.12).
Dentist Salary by City in New Mexico
Across the 4 New Mexico metro areas where BLS publishes a dentist median, pay runs from $141,580 in Albuquerque to $207,000 in Las Cruces, a spread of $65,420.
All dental roles by metro: Albuquerque · Las Cruces · Santa Fe
Who's hiring dentists in New Mexico now
DentistryHires has 10 open dentist listings in New Mexico from 4 employers, the most of them in Albuquerque (5).
3 post a salary from $175,000 to $325,000 a year. These are employers' posted ranges, not survey figures.
Dentist Regulatory Context in New Mexico
Dentist practice in New Mexico is regulated by the New Mexico Board of Dental Health Care.
Scope of practice — what a dentist may do, and under what level of supervision — is set by state law and changes over time, so verify current rules with the board before relying on them.
How New Mexico Compares
Other dental salaries in New Mexico
- Dental Hygienist salary in New Mexico: median $95,940, $59,320 below the dentist median
- Dental Assistant salary in New Mexico: median $44,400, $110,860 below the dentist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in New Mexico: median $45,300, $109,960 below the dentist median
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state and national estimates, all industries); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024. Price-adjusted pay divides the median by the price level. Listing counts and posted pay are live DentistryHires listings, refreshed hourly. A dash means BLS did not publish that figure; nothing is estimated.