Santa Fe County (unincorporated areas) minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Santa Fe County (unincorporated areas) is $15.40 an hour in 2026, $3.40 above the New Mexico rate of $12.00. This rate applies only outside the cities and towns of Santa Fe County, under the county's 2014 Living Wage Ordinance. Tipped workers have a base wage fixed at 30% of the living wage, a rule set by a separate 2014 ordinance.
Contents11 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $15.40 an hour, since March 1, 20261 |
|---|---|
| Next change | The next adjustment is due March 1, 2027; the county usually posts the amount shortly before. |
| Tipped employees | $4.62 cash wage, tip credit up to $10.7813 |
| Full-time pay | $616 a week, $32,032 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | Santa Fe County Growth Management Department, Code Enforcement |
What to know about the Santa Fe County (unincorporated areas) minimum wage
Santa Fe County's living wage stops at the city line. It covers businesses that need a county license, which means those in unincorporated areas outside Santa Fe, Española and Edgewood, along with county government, county contractors and companies that have economic development agreements with the county.12
The Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance 2014-1 with a starting wage of $10.66. Since then it has risen every March 1 by the West Region CPI-W, the same index and date the City of Santa Fe has used, which is why the two rates matched at $15.40 on March 1, 2026.12 They are set to split: the city moves to $17.50 on January 1, 2027, while the county's next step is expected to be its regular CPI-W adjustment on March 1, 2027.1
The tipped rule is the county's own. Ordinance 2014-5 sets a base wage for tipped and commissioned workers at 30% of the living wage, so it rises automatically: $3.69 in 2021, $4.21 in 2023 and $4.62 from March 1, 2026. The threshold is low: more than $30 a month in tips or commissions.31
Code enforcement officers in the Growth Management Department handle violations, and workers can ask for an investigation by email or with the county's request form.1
All 2026 rates
Most workers get the living wage. Workers who usually receive more than $30 a month in tips or commissions may be paid a base wage of 30% of the living wage, $4.62 from March 1, 2026, as long as base pay plus tips and commissions reaches the full living wage.
| Rate | Applies to | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| County living wage | Work in unincorporated Santa Fe County for employers that need a county business license, plus county government and contractors | $15.401 |
| Tipped base wage (30%) | Workers who usually receive more than $30 a month in tips or commissions | $4.6213 |
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 Santa Fe County (unincorporated areas), that is the local rate.
| Minimum wage | Next change | Per hour now |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe County (unincorporated areas) | Due March 1, 2027, amount not announced | $15.40 |
| New Mexico (state) | None scheduled | $12.00 |
| Federal | None scheduled | $7.25 |
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $4.62 an hour13 |
| Maximum tip credit | $10.78 an hour |
Workers who usually receive more than $30 a month in tips or commissions may be paid a base wage of 30% of the living wage ($4.62 from March 1, 2026).
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 living wage rises each March 1 by the previous year's increase, if any, in the West Region Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), under Ordinance 2014-1. The county posts the new figure on its website before the change, and the tipped base wage moves with it at 30%.
Rate history
Who is covered
Covers unincorporated Santa Fe County only, meaning everywhere outside the City of Santa Fe, the City of Española and the Town of Edgewood. It applies to businesses that need a county business license, to county government, to county service and construction contractors, and to businesses in county economic development agreements, and it includes part-time, temporary and agency workers. Other public employees, registered apprentices, the employer's immediate family, student interns working for credit, certified youth-camp staff and volunteers at nonprofits are excluded.
- The county living wage started at $10.66 an hour in 2014 and has risen with inflation every year since.
- Employers must post the county's English and Spanish compliance notice next to their business license; the notice is not reissued each year, so the county web page carries the latest rates.
- Complaints go to the Code Enforcement Supervisor in the Growth Management Department, by email or with an investigation request form at 240 Grant Avenue in Santa Fe.
Other local rates in New Mexico
- Santa Fe$15.40
- Las Cruces$13.01
- 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 | Santa Fe County Growth Management Department, Code Enforcement |
|---|---|
| The law | Santa Fe County Ordinance No. 2014-1 (Living Wage Ordinance); Santa Fe County Ordinance No. 2014-5 (base wage for tipped employees) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
- 1 Santa Fe County, Living Wage Ordinance (current and previous rates) Checked Oct 9, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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