How to become a police officer in New Mexico

Pay at the Albuquerque Police Department

Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Albuquerque Police Department, the largest city's agency.

APD recruiting site (linked from cabq.gov): Year 1-3 $80,828.80; Year 4 $84,728.80; Year 5 $90,246.00; Year 6 $90,922.00; Year 7-9 $93,652.00; Year 10-12 $95,706.00; Year 13-14 $97,084.00; Year 15 $101,285.60; Year 16-17 $104,015.60; Year 18+ $108,097.60. Year 4+ figures are marked as including longevity pay. Cadets: "$31.37 an hour" (= $65,250 at x 2080); 26-week academy, paid. Extras: college incentive $100-$200 biweekly, shift differential, bilingual and specialty pay.

Source:[apdonline.com]

Pay for this work across New Mexico

Federal survey figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers in New Mexico, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]

Requirements

• Minimum age: 18
• Education: High school diploma or equivalent
• Citizenship: U.S. citizen or authorized to work by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (Laws 2025, ch. 78, amending NMSA 29-7-6)
• Must have reached the age of majority (NMSA 29-7-6)
• Valid driver's license
• No felony conviction or plea; no conviction in the prior 3 years for aggravated assault, theft, DWI, controlled substances or other crime of moral turpitude; no dishonorable discharge
• Examination by a licensed physician and a certified psychologist
• Good moral character
• Must be certified within 12 months of starting work as a police officer or forfeit the position (NMSA 29-7-6(B))

Source:[nmlegis.gov]

Hiring process

1. Hire by a New Mexico law enforcement agency
2. Background investigation (good moral character, criminal history)
3. Medical examination by a licensed physician
4. Psychological examination by a certified psychologist
5. Fingerprint clearance for academy admission
6. Basic police officer training (672 hours minimum)
7. Law Enforcement Officer Certification Exam (LEOCE)
8. Certification within 12 months of hire

Source:[srca.nm.gov]

Entrance exam

Law Enforcement Officer Certification Exam (LEOCE). Given only to students who complete all academy requirements; two attempts within one year of academy completion; after two failures the student must take the academic part of certification-by-waiver training before a third try; three failures require repeating the basic academy (10.29.9.18 NMAC).[srca.nm.gov]

Required training

672 hours minimum. 10.29.9.8 NMAC: "Total basic training academy minimum hours required for certification: 672 total hours." Taught at NMLEA or approved satellite academies (e.g., APD, BCSO, CNM). APD says its own academy is 26 weeks, paid.[srca.nm.gov]

Pension and retirement

• Plan: Public Employees Retirement Association of New Mexico (PERA), Municipal Police Member Coverage Plans
• Benefit formula: Tier 2 Municipal Police Plan 5: pension factor 3.0% per year of service x final average salary, maximum 100% of final average salary (Plans 1-3: 2.0%; Plan 4: 2.5%)
• When you can retire: Tier 2 (hired on/after July 1, 2013), Municipal Police Plans 1-5: age 60 or older with 5 years of service credit, or any age with 25 years of service credit; vested at 5 years

Plan depends on the plan the city has adopted; Albuquerque's recruiting page says APD officers are in PERA with pension eligibility after 25 years but does not name the plan. FY26 Plan 5 Tier 2 contributions: employee 16.30% (salary under $25,000) / 19.80% (over $25,000), employer 21.15%. Eligibility from https://www.nmpera.org/members/retirement/retirement-eligibility-tier-2

Source:[files.nmpera.org]