Healthcare Jobs in Albuquerque, NM
Health care is one of the few sectors still adding jobs in Albuquerque, and UNM Hospital, Presbyterian and Lovelace run hospitals from Downtown to the Westside and Rio Rancho. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring, what the work pays and how to train for it locally.
Current healthcare Openings in Albuquerque, NM
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Healthcare Work in Albuquerque
Albuquerque's health care economy is built around three systems and a federal hospital. UNM Hospital, on the Health Sciences campus at Lomas and University, is the only Level I trauma center in New Mexico, so the sickest patients from across the state end up here. Presbyterian runs its flagship hospital Downtown, Kaseman Hospital in the Northeast Heights and Rust Medical Center in Rio Rancho. Lovelace has Lovelace Medical Center and the Heart Hospital of New Mexico near Downtown, Lovelace Women's Hospital in the Northeast Heights and Lovelace Westside Hospital across the river. The Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center sits in the southeast quadrant near Kirtland Air Force Base.
If you live on the Westside or in Rio Rancho, you do not have to fight the Paseo del Norte or Montano bridges every morning: Lovelace Westside, Presbyterian Rust and UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center all hire on your side of the Rio Grande. According to the BLS, education and health services employed about 69,400 people in the Albuquerque area in July 2026, up 0.7% in a year when total jobs barely moved.
Top Albuquerque Employers Hiring Healthcare Workers
These employers are posting clinical and support jobs in the Albuquerque metro right now:
- UNM Hospital - the state's academic medical center and Level I trauma center hires nurses, techs and support staff across inpatient and outpatient units.
- Presbyterian Healthcare Services - the nonprofit system behind Presbyterian Hospital, Kaseman and Rust posts hundreds of Albuquerque openings, from nursing techs and medical assistants to RNs.
- Lovelace Health System - the Ardent-owned hospitals hire RNs, LPNs and patient care techs, including at the Westside campus.
- Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center - the VA hospital for New Mexico veterans hires nurses and clinical staff through USAJOBS.
- UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center - the UNM Health hospital in Rio Rancho hires RNs, patient care techs and certified medical assistants.
- First Choice Community Healthcare - the community health center network, with sites in the South Valley and on South Broadway, hires medical assistants, lab assistants and pharmacy techs.
Healthcare Salaries in Albuquerque
- Entry level: about $16 to $22 an hour for nursing techs, patient care techs and new medical assistants.
- Experienced: roughly $22 to $36 an hour for LPNs and seasoned medical assistants, and $40 to $50 an hour for staff RNs.
- Senior: $50 to $58 an hour or more for specialty and charge RNs, with VA nurse pay posted up to about $139,000 a year.
These are estimates from 2026 employer postings and federal wage data. The BLS puts the local mean at $16.99 an hour for healthcare support jobs and $49.85 for practitioners and technical roles, so a license is the single biggest thing that moves your pay. After that it is specialty, shift and employer; UNM Hospital, for example, adds $2 to $8 an hour above base pay for education and certifications.
How to Start a Healthcare Career in Albuquerque
Most local training runs through Central New Mexico Community College. CNM's School of Health, Wellness and Public Safety, in Jeannette Stromberg Hall on Main Campus, offers pharmacy technician, EMS, radiologic technology, respiratory therapist and surgical technologist programs, among others, and CNM's nursing programs run at Main Campus and in Rio Rancho. The UNM College of Nursing offers a BSN on the Health Sciences campus. Nurses are licensed by the New Mexico Board of Nursing, nurse aides are listed on the Certified Nurse Aide Registry run by the New Mexico Health Care Authority, pharmacy techs register with the New Mexico Board of Pharmacy, and EMTs are licensed through the Department of Health EMS Bureau.
What the Job Involves
Healthcare work covers direct patient care, such as taking vital signs, giving medications and charting in an electronic health record, plus the jobs that keep a hospital running: lab work, pharmacy, scheduling and billing. Hospital roles run 24 hours a day on 8 or 12 hour shifts, while clinic jobs keep closer to business hours.
Skills Employers Look For
- A current state license, certification or registration for the role
- Current BLS or CPR certification
- Comfort with electronic health records
- Clear communication with patients and families
- Bilingual English and Spanish skills
- Reliability on nights, weekends and holidays
Career Path and Advancement
A common Albuquerque path starts as a nursing or patient care tech at Presbyterian, Lovelace or UNM Hospital while taking prerequisites at CNM. From there, the Practical Nursing certificate leads to LPN work, the associate degree to RN licensure, and the CNM and UNM dual degree to a BSN. Staff nurses move into specialty units, charge roles and management.
Related Careers in Albuquerque
If a healthcare career interests you, start with these Albuquerque guides:
Frequently Asked Questions
Which hospitals are hiring in Albuquerque?
UNM Hospital, Presbyterian, the Lovelace hospitals and the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center are all hiring. In Rio Rancho, Presbyterian Rust and UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center hire too.
How much do healthcare jobs pay in Albuquerque?
Entry support roles such as nursing tech and medical assistant generally start around $16 to $22 an hour. LPNs usually earn about $22 to $36 an hour, and staff RNs about $40 to $50, with specialty nurses earning more.
Do I need a license to work in healthcare in New Mexico?
It depends on the role. Nurses need a license from the New Mexico Board of Nursing, nurse aides must pass the state exam to join the Certified Nurse Aide Registry, and pharmacy techs must register with the New Mexico Board of Pharmacy and pass PTCB or ExCPT within a year.
Can I use a nursing license from another state in Albuquerque?
New Mexico is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate license from another compact state lets you work here. Nurses from non-compact states apply to the New Mexico Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement.
How long does it take to train for a healthcare job in Albuquerque?
A state-approved nurse aide program is at least 75 clock hours. CNM's Practical Nursing certificate takes three terms and its associate nursing degree four terms, while UNM's BSN takes about 20 months once you are admitted.
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