Bill Co-sponsor Sen. Siah Correa Hemphill

From the Office of the Governor:

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued the following statement today following the New Mexico State Senate unanimously voting to approve Senate Bill 1, increasing base salary levels for New Mexico teachers by an average of 20 percent:

“New Mexico educators deserve better compensation, it’s as simple as that – and we are delivering it. I want New Mexico teachers to be the best-compensated in the region, and today we are one step closer to making that a reality.

“I thank the Senate for their support of this initiative, a top priority of mine for the current legislative session.”

Sponsored by Sen. Mimi Stewart and Sen. Siah Correa Hemphill, Senate Bill 1 increases minimum educator salary levels in the state’s three-tier licensure system to $50,000, $60,000 and $70,000, representing an average 35 percent total increase in base salary levels since Gov. Lujan Grisham came into office.

Coupled with a 7 percent raise for New Mexico education staff included in the governor’s budget recommendation, higher salaries for teachers will increase the average educator salary to $64,006, putting the state on par with the national average and ahead of surrounding states.

Bill Co-sponsor Sen. Mimi Stewart

In 2019, following years of deep cuts to public education, the governor authorized 6 percent raises for all New Mexico educators while also dramatically increasing educator salary levels as part of an almost half–a-billion-dollar investment in public schools that year.

This pay raise was followed by an additional 2 percent across-the-board increase for educators in 2020.