Las Cruces minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Las Cruces is $13.01 an hour in 2026, $1.01 above the New Mexico rate of $12.00. It rises to $13.47 on January 1, 2027. Las Cruces adopted its own minimum wage in 2014 and has indexed it to West Region inflation since 2020, taking the state rate instead whenever New Mexico's is higher. Tipped workers must get a cash wage of at least 40% of the city minimum.
Contents11 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $13.01 an hour, since January 1, 202612 |
|---|---|
| Next change | $13.47 on January 1, 2027 (announced)5 |
| Tipped employees | $5.20 cash wage, tip credit up to $7.8113 |
| Full-time pay | $520 a week, $27,061 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | City of Las Cruces |
What to know about the Las Cruces minimum wage
The Las Cruces City Council adopted Ordinance 2726 in 2014, raising the local wage in fixed steps to $10.10 in 2019 and then indexing it to inflation from 2020.3 When New Mexico's statewide increases overtook the indexed figure, the city used the state's $11.50 in 2022 and $12.00 in 2023.1 Since then the city rate has pulled ahead again: $12.36 in 2024, $12.65 in 2025 and $13.01 from January 1, 2026.2
The biggest difference from state law is for tipped workers. Las Cruces sets their cash wage at 40% of the city minimum, $5.20 from January 1, 2026, and the 40% share rises with every increase. Tip pools need a written procedure signed by each tipped worker, and only tipped workers may share.13
Neither the city notice nor the code names a complaint office; enforcement runs through the courts. The code treats underpayment as a public nuisance and lets workers sue in the Third Judicial District Court in Doña Ana County for unpaid wages, interest, attorney's fees and costs.3 The city code's coverage also leaves out managers, school students working outside school hours and some young workers, though the state minimum wage law may still protect them.3
The city's notice for January 1, 2027 sets $13.47 an hour and $5.39 for tipped employees.5
All 2026 rates
There are two rates. Most workers get the city minimum. Workers who usually receive more than $30 a week in tips may be paid a cash wage of 40% of the city minimum, $5.20 from January 1, 2026.
| Rate | Applies to | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| City minimum wage | Hours worked in Las Cruces for employers that need a city business license$13.47 from January 1, 20275 | $13.0112 |
| Tipped cash wage (40%) | Workers who usually receive more than $30 a week in tips$5.39 from January 1, 20275 | $5.2012 |
Compared with New Mexico
When a local minimum wage, the state minimum wage and the federal minimum wage differ, the employer must pay the highest one that applies to the work. For most covered work in Las Cruces, that is the local rate.
| Minimum wage | Next change | Per hour now |
|---|---|---|
| Las Cruces | $13.47 on January 1, 2027 | $13.01 |
| New Mexico (state) | None scheduled | $12.00 |
| Federal | None scheduled | $7.25 |
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $5.20 an hour13 |
| Maximum tip credit | $7.81 an hour |
Workers who usually get more than $30 a week in tips must be paid at least 40% of the city minimum in cash, $5.20 from January 1, 2026, and tips must bring them to the full rate. Tip pools are allowed only among tipped workers under a written procedure each one signs, and employers may not share in tips.
An employer that takes a tip credit must make up the difference whenever wages plus tips fall short of the full minimum wage for the workweek. See the tipped minimum wage guide.
How the rate changes
The rate rises every January 1 by the August-to-August increase in the West Region Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) and is never reduced. The city compares the result with the state rate and uses the higher figure, and it must publish the next year's rate on its website by October 15.
Rate history
Who is covered
Covers hours worked inside city limits for employers that need a city business license, the City of Las Cruces and city contractors with service contracts over $30,000. The city law excludes executives, administrators, professionals and supervisors, nonprofit volunteers, school students working after hours or on vacation, registered apprentices and learners, and some workers 18 or under; workers excluded by the city may still be owed the state minimum under the New Mexico Minimum Wage Act.
- The city code requires overtime at 1.5 times the higher of the regular rate or the minimum wage after 40 hours in a week.
- Employers must post the city's yearly notice in English and Spanish and keep payroll and tip records for three years.
Other local rates in New Mexico
- Santa Fe$15.40
- Santa Fe County (unincorporated areas)$15.40
- Albuquerque$12.00
Everywhere else in New Mexico, the state rate applies.
Get help or file a claim
If you are paid less than the minimum wage that applies to your job, you can file a wage claim with the agency below. Federal law prohibits firing or otherwise retaliating against a worker for complaining about federal minimum wage rights.
| Agency | City of Las Cruces |
|---|---|
| The law | Las Cruces Municipal Code Chapter 14, Article III (Sections 14-60 to 14-66), Minimum Wage Ordinance; City of Las Cruces Ordinance No. 2726 (2014), as amended by Ord. 2741, 2832 and 2901 |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 City of Las Cruces, Minimum Wage Notice for 2026 Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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