Systems Administrator.
Albuquerque.
$86,000
median salary, 11% below the national average
$68,000 to $109,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Systems Administrator in Albuquerque earns a median of $86,000 in 2026. That is 11% below the national average. The range runs from $68,000 to $109,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Systems Administrator compensation is driven by years of experience, specialization depth, and the industry domain. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Systems Administrator in Albuquerque, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $86,540 for Network and Computer Systems Administrators (SOC 15-1244) in the Albuquerque, NM metropolitan area, based on 650 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$63,190
25th percentile
$72,700
Median
$86,540
75th percentile
$103,380
90th percentile
$124,370
Workers surveyed
650
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Network and Computer Systems Administrators (SOC 15-1244) rather than Systems Administrator specifically. The Albuquerque range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-1244Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $77,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$56,000
to $69,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$73,000
to $90,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$95,000
to $112,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$108,000
to $133,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $26,000 to the total package.
Base
$86,000
Equity
$15,000
Bonus
$9,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $112,000
How Albuquerque compares.
Albuquerque, NM
$86,000
Cost of living: 12% below average
National Average
$97,000
Albuquerque is $11,000 below
Systems Administrator salary by city.
Salary by role in Albuquerque.
What you should know.
Here is what the Systems Administrator market actually looks like in Albuquerque. Albuquerque's economy is driven by Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, Kirtland Air Force Base, and a growing film production industry. The city offers affordable living and a strong pipeline of research and engineering jobs tied to national defense and energy programs. Systems Administrator compensation is driven by years of experience, specialization depth, and the industry domain. Base salary carries most of the total compensation, with bonuses adding roughly 8% in a typical year. Within tech-sector Systems Administrators specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 67%+ variance across the compensation band.
Systems Administrators progress from entry to senior over 5 to 8 years, with lead and management levels requiring 10+ years and demonstrated cross-functional scope. In Albuquerque, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 12% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation for Systems Administrators runs roughly $89K at median when factoring base + typical bonus (~8% of base). Base salary carries most of the compensation; benefits (healthcare, 401(k) match, PTO) add an estimated 15–25% in imputed value on top. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included. And on the tax side: new Mexico's top income tax rate is 5.9%. Albuquerque has no city income tax. The moderate state rate and affordable housing create reasonable net compensation. When someone quotes you $86,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight security clearance or national lab experience. Sandia and Los Alamos pay nationally competitive salaries with excellent federal benefits packages. The range for Systems Administrators in Albuquerque runs from $68,000 to $109,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
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Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Systems Administrator Salary in Albuquerque, NM." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/systems-administrator/albuquerque
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