How long does home health aide training take in New Mexico?

Most people become a Home Health Aide in New Mexico through a state-approved home health aide program, competency evaluation, and state listing where required.

How to Become a Home Health Aide in New Mexico (2026)

Q: How much do home health aides earn in New Mexico?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (May 2025), home health aides in New Mexico earned a median annual wage of approximately $28,520. Employment concentration in New Mexico is about 1.61 times the national average for this occupation.

Q: What is the job outlook for home health aides in New Mexico?

New Mexico currently employs approximately 38,910 workers, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 17.0% national employment change for this occupation from 2024 to 2034.

Updated June 8, 2026 | TradeCareerPath Editorial Team

New Mexico home health and personal care aides earn a median annual wage of $28,520 ($13.71/hr) according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (May 2025), with about 38,910 workers employed statewide. The state median is approximately -20.3% below the national median of $35,800 for the same occupation.

Key Takeaways

Median annual pay: $28,520 ($13.71/hr)
25th percentile: $26,970 per year
75th percentile: $30,730 per year
Top 10% earn: more than $36,440 per year
Entry-level (bottom 10%): under $26,400 per year
Workers employed in New Mexico: 38,910
Versus national median: -20.3% below the U.S. median of $35,800
Job concentration: Location quotient 1.61 - this occupation is more concentrated in New Mexico than the national average

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Last reviewed June 8, 2026.

New Mexico employs about 38,910 home health aides earning a median $28,520 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Training as a Home Health Aide here means completing a state-approved home health aide program, competency evaluation, and state listing where required. Confirm credential rules with the program and employer.

Key Facts

Median wage (New Mexico): $28,520/yr (Source: BLS OEWS, 2025)
Employed in New Mexico: 38,910 workers (Source: BLS OEWS, 2025)
Location quotient: 1.61x U.S. average (Source: BLS OEWS, 2025)
Projected growth: 17.0% (2024-2034) (Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024)

Compare Home Health Aide Schools in New Mexico

BOC Score, tuition, graduation rate, and median graduate earnings from federal IPEDS and U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard data. Earnings are reported across all programs at the school (all majors), not a single trade. Distance is measured from the page's primary location.
#	School	BOC Score (0–100)	Tuition	Median grad earnings (all majors)	Graduation rate	Online	Distance
1	Amarillo College	67.4	Contact school for pricing	$50,015	31%	Yes*	222 mi
2	Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus	54.6	Contact school for pricing	$54,827	30%	Yes*	89 mi
3	San Juan College	53.0	Contact school for pricing	$46,786	Not reported	Yes*	227 mi
4	Central New Mexico Community College	51.8	Contact school for pricing	$48,652	30%	Yes*	82 mi
5	Odessa College	51.5	Contact school for pricing	$53,686	32%	Yes*	248 mi
6	Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College	49.2	$1,372 - $9,907	$54,827	22%	Yes*	63 mi
7	New Mexico State University-Dona Ana	48.7	Contact school for pricing	$54,874	17%	Yes*	152 mi
8	Santa Fe Community College	46.6	Contact school for pricing	$53,855	Not reported	Yes*	96 mi
9	Mesalands Community College	42.7	Contact school for pricing	$33,937	Not reported	—	123 mi
10	University of New Mexico-Valencia County Campus	42.2	Contact school for pricing	$59,818	Not reported	—	71 mi

Schools closest to the page's primary location are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the page's primary location is shown for reference. The BOC Score is an independent measure of school outcomes (graduation, earnings, net price, retention) expressed as a 0–100 percentile within each school's peer group; higher is better and advertising never affects it. *Online availability refers to coursework; hands-on trade training is completed in person. Read the full methodology.

New Mexico employs approximately 38,910 home health aides according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a median annual wage of $28,520 ¹. The state’s concentration of home health aide jobs is 1.61x the national average, indicating strong demand. Nationally, home health aide employment is projected to grow 17.0% from 2024 to 2034, with about 765,800 openings per year ². This page covers how to become a Home Health Aide in New Mexico, including licensing requirements, training programs, and salary data.

At a Glance

Training paths: state-approved home health aide program (find programs)
Typical timeline: a state-approved home health aide program, competency evaluation, and state listing where required
Exam: HHA competency evaluation
Median wage (New Mexico): $28,520 per year ¹

Quick Answers About How to Become a Home Health Aide in New Mexico

How to become a Home Health Aide in New Mexico? Complete a state-approved home health aide program, competency evaluation, and state listing where required. Confirm credential rules with the program and employer.

How long does it take? Most people finish a state-approved home health aide program, competency evaluation, and state listing where required. Confirm current hour totals with the program and employer.

Do I need a license in New Mexico? Licensing varies. Confirm with the program and employer. See the licensing section below.

What do home health aides earn in New Mexico? The median annual wage for home health aides in New Mexico is $28,520 according to BLS data. Entry-level wages start around $26,400 and experienced professionals can earn $36,440 or more ¹.

How to Become a Home Health Aide in New Mexico

Meet entry rules. Confirm age, background-check, and health-screening rules with the training program and the employer.
Complete a state-approved HHA program. Finish an approved home health aide program in New Mexico. This is not a registered apprenticeship.
Pass the competency evaluation. Complete the skills and knowledge evaluation the state uses for HHAs.
Get certified or listed. Get listed or certified as an HHA where the state uses that credential. Do not treat a CNA listing as the HHA credential. Confirm with the employer.

Steps and hour totals vary by credential level; confirm current requirements with the state board before you apply.

Home Health Aide License Requirements in New Mexico

Home health aides in New Mexico complete an approved HHA program and competency evaluation. Some states certify this role; most do not. Confirm with the employer when a state credential exists.

Typical path

Meet entry rules.
Complete a state-approved HHA program.
Pass the competency evaluation.
Obtain HHA certification or listing from the employer.

Hour totals, fees, and reciprocity rules change. Confirm current requirements with the employer before you enroll.

Home Health Aide Wages by Metro Area in New Mexico

Home Health and Personal Care Aides Wages by Metro Area in New Mexico

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), home health and personal care aides wages in New Mexico vary by metro area.

Metro Area	Employment	Median Annual Wage	Avg. Annual Wage	Entry Level (10th pctile)	Experienced (90th pctile)
Albuquerque	16,860	$30,170	$31,210	$26,870	$36,440
Las Cruces	6,430	$27,840	$28,570	$26,000	$32,450
Farmington	1,900	$27,290	$28,490	$24,960	$35,480
Santa Fe	1,470	$31,540	$33,270	$26,730	$40,660

Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the job outlook for home health aides in New Mexico? New Mexico currently employs approximately 38,910 home health aides ¹. Nationally, home health aide employment is projected to grow 17.0% from 2024 to 2034 ².

Can I work as a home health aide in New Mexico with an out-of-state license? Confirm reciprocity rules with the program and employer.

What training programs are available in New Mexico? Options include trade schools, community colleges, and state-approved training programs. Use the school finder above to search for programs in New Mexico.

How much do home health aides earn in New Mexico compared to the national average? The median annual wage for home health aides in New Mexico is $28,520, which is $6,380 below the national median of $34,900 according to BLS data ¹.

In New Mexico

Best Trade Schools in New Mexico (2026)

Top local programs

Explore More Trades in New Mexico

Citations

About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics - Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/oes/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Bureau of Labor Statistics - Employment Projections: https://www.bls.gov/emp/ ↩︎ ↩︎

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

Data	Provider	Vintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics	May 2025
Employment Projections	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics	2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System	National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)	2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)	U.S. Department of Education	latest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)	U.S. Department of Education	latest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirements	CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)	latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programs	CareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)	latest release (updated 2025-10-25)
O*NET occupation profiles (skills, tasks, tools, job zones)	U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET / Employment & Training Admin.)	O*NET 29.1 (updated 2026-06-13)