Sandoval Co. wages in state’s top tier but still fall below averages

A new report from the Southwest Information Office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has Sandoval County in the top six counties for average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2022.

The study found the average weekly salary in Sandoval County was $1,078, placing it sixth in the state. The county had 3,038 establishments employing 32,468 people during the three-month stretch.

Despite being in the top six of New Mexico’s 32 counties, the number falls below the state average of $1,115 and the national average of $1,385. Counties with a weekly wage average above Sandoval are: Los Alamos ($2,217), Eddy ($1,434), Lea ($1,277), Santa Fe ($1,179), and Bernalillo ($1,162).

Additionally, neighboring Bernalillo County, the only county in the state considered a large county (employing an average of 75,000 or more in 2021), saw an employment rise of 1.7% from December 2021 to December 2022, ranking it 181 of the 355 largest counties in the nation.

National employment increased 2.6% over the same time period, with 325 of the 355 large counties seeing gains — and making up 72.9% of total U.S. Employment.

Bernalillo County’s employment stood at 340,100 in December 2022, accounting for 40.3% of the state’s employment. Its average weekly wage also increased 1.1% year over year, ranking 41^st among large counties. Nationally, average weekly wages fell 2.3%. Los Alamos and Eddy counties were the only two in the state above the national average, with Sierra County reporting the lowest weekly wage in the state at $771.

Year-over-year wage changes were not available for what the study classified as “small” counties employing fewer than 75,000 people.