SOC 47-2071 · Las Cruces, NM metro

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Salary in Las Cruces, NM

The average salary for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Las Cruces, New Mexico is $46,740 a year ($22.47 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $45,450: half of the 100 people in this job in the Las Cruces, NM metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 21% less than the U.S. average for this job ($59,000).

$46,740average per year

$22.47 / hourMedian $45,450Take-home ≈ $38,693

  • $38K10th
  • $42K25th
  • $45KMedian
  • $48K75th
  • $58K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

100people in this job
-21%vs U.S. average
#3 of 4New Mexico metros
90cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay range in Las Cruces

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,990 a year or less, while the top 10% make $58,000 or more. The middle half of paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Las Cruces earn between $42,450 and $47,820.

  • $38K10th
  • $42K25th
  • $45KMedian
  • $48K75th
  • $58K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$46,740$3,895$22.47
Median$45,450$3,788$21.85
Entry level (25th percentile)$42,450$3,538$20.41
Experienced (75th percentile)$47,820$3,985$22.99

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators pay in Las Cruces vs. New Mexico and the U.S.

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators in Las Cruces earn about the same as the New Mexico average ($47,700) and 21% less than the U.S. average ($59,000). At the median the gap is -15% against the U.S. median of $53,340.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Las Cruces$46,740$45,450$37,990$58,000100
New Mexico$47,700$45,880$37,130$60,180990
United States$59,000$53,340$38,230$92,23041,820

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary after taxes in Las Cruces

On the average salary of $46,740, a single filer in Las Cruces takes home about $38,693 a year, or $3,224 a month and $1,488 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

New Mexico paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Las Cruces a good place for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Las Cruces area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.2), so the average $46,740 buys what about $51,811 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Las Cruces ($42,070). A typical home costs $288,339, or 6.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $46,740 is worth in another city

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary in other New Mexico cities

Las Cruces ranks 3rd of 4 New Mexico metro areas for this job; Santa Fe pays the most ($50,270).

All Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salaries in New Mexico

Highest-paying cities for paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

Riverside, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($105,890).

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary by city

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Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators salary in Las Cruces: questions

How much do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators make an hour in Las Cruces?

$22.47 an hour on average, and $21.85 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators salary in Las Cruces?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,990 a year and the 25th percentile is $42,450, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators take-home pay in Las Cruces?

About $38,693 a year ($3,224 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $46,740.

Do paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators earn more in Las Cruces than elsewhere?

The average here is 21% less than the U.S. average for this job ($59,000).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 47-2071; area Las Cruces, NM (29740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 4.69, this job is 4.7 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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