Pursuant to the Las Cruces Municipal Code (LCMC) the minimum wage will increase for Las Cruces, effective January 1, 2026.
According to LCMC, the Las Cruces minimum wage will increase to $13.01 per hour and the tipped wage will increase to $5.20 per hour.
History of Las Cruces minimum wage:
In 2014, the City enacted ordinance 2726 which established a minimum wage, tipped wage, and annual increases, for Las Cruces. From 2015-2019 the amount of the minimum wage was a set number but for 2020 and beyond, both the minimum wage and tipped wage increases were tied to the CPI index, as per the ordinance.
Effective January 1, 2020 the State enacted the New Mexico Minimum Wage Act. Each year in September, we calculate the minimum wage and tipped wage based on the City ordinance and compare it to the minimum wage and tipped wage set by the State of New Mexico; we adopt the higher of the two. In 2020, the City minimum wage was higher than the State so we adopted the City minimum wage; from 2021-2023 the State minimum wage has been higher so we have adopted that number. The tipped wage as calculated by the City ordinance has always been higher than the State so that is what has been adopted.
In 2024 and 2025, the State minimum wage remained at $12. However, the City of Las Cruces minimum wage increased, based on CPI index and the City ordinance which adopts the higher of the State or Las Cruces amount.
For 2026, the State minimum wage will again remain at $12. The City of Las Cruces minimum wage will increase, based on the CPI index and the City ordinance which adopts the higher of the State or Las Cruces amount.
A comparison of the adopted wages for the past few years follows:
| Year | Minimum Wage | Tipped Wage* |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $10.25* | $4.10 |
| 2021 | $10.50 | $4.16 |
| 2022 | $11.50 | $4.40 |
| 2023 | $12.00 | $4.78 |
| 2024 | $12.36* | $4.95 |
| 2025 | $12.65* | $5.06 |
| 2026 | $13.01* | $5.20 |
*Based on the City ordinance
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Minimum Wage 2026 Notice & Ordinance
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