Registered Nurse Jobs in Albuquerque, NM
Registered nurses in Albuquerque are hired by UNM Hospital, the state's only Level I trauma center, as well as Presbyterian, Lovelace and the VA, with posted pay reaching $58 an hour for specialty roles. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get licensed in New Mexico.
Current registered nurse Openings in Albuquerque, NM
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Registered Nurse Work in Albuquerque
Albuquerque is where New Mexico's hardest cases come for care, and that shapes RN hiring. UNM Hospital on the Health Sciences campus lists around 100 RN openings at a time, from adult ICUs and neuroscience to labor and delivery and psychiatric units, and advertises fast offers for its Progressive Care Unit. Presbyterian staffs its Downtown flagship and Kaseman Hospital in the Northeast Heights, while Lovelace hires for the ER, ICU and cardiac units at Lovelace Medical Center near Downtown, for med surg and ICU at Lovelace Westside, and for labor and delivery and OB triage in the Northeast Heights.
The Westside and Rio Rancho have their own hospital jobs now. Lovelace Westside, Presbyterian Rust Medical Center and UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center all post RN roles, so a nurse living off Unser or in Rio Rancho can skip the morning crawl across the Paseo del Norte bridge. The Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in the southeast quadrant adds federal jobs, such as a 2026 posting for dialysis nurses.
Top Albuquerque Employers Hiring Registered Nurses
These employers have posted RN openings in the Albuquerque metro in 2026:
- UNM Hospital - the academic medical center hires RNs for ICUs, labor and delivery, psych and outpatient clinics, and runs a new graduate residency.
- Presbyterian Healthcare Services - hires RNs across its Albuquerque hospitals and clinics, with pre-op RN pay posted at $39.69 to $58.17 an hour.
- Lovelace Health System - posts RN roles in the ER, ICU, cardiac PCU, rehab, med surg, PACU and labor and delivery across its Albuquerque hospitals.
- Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center - hires RNs through USAJOBS, including specialty roles such as dialysis.
- UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center - the UNM Health hospital in Rio Rancho hires inpatient and outpatient RNs.
Registered Nurse Salaries in Albuquerque
- Entry level: about $37 to $42 an hour for new graduate and early career RNs.
- Experienced: roughly $42 to $50 an hour for staff nurses with a few years on a unit.
- Senior: $50 to $58 an hour or more for specialty, charge and procedural nurses; VA RN pay has been posted up to about $139,000 a year.
These are estimates drawn from 2026 employer postings and pay reports for Albuquerque hospitals. Specialty is the biggest lever: critical care, the ER, labor and delivery and procedural areas tend to pay at the top of the range. UNM Hospital's Clinical Advancement Program adds $2 to $8 an hour above base pay for education and certifications, and travel and per diem roles pay more in exchange for less stability.
How to Become a Registered Nurse in Albuquerque
You need a nursing degree and a license from the New Mexico Board of Nursing, earned by passing the NCLEX-RN. Central New Mexico Community College offers an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, about four terms once you are admitted through its limited-entry process, at Main Campus and the Rio Rancho campus. The CNM and UNM dual degree lets you earn the associate degree and a UNM BSN together, and the UNM College of Nursing offers a BSN on the Health Sciences campus that takes about 20 months. The Board requires official transcripts, fingerprints through IdentoGo and NCLEX registration with Pearson VUE.
What the Job Involves
Registered nurses assess patients, give medications and IV therapy, carry out physician and provider orders, and watch for changes in condition. Daily work includes charting in the electronic health record, coordinating with doctors, therapists and techs, educating patients and families, and supervising LPNs and nursing assistants. Hospital RNs usually work three 12 hour shifts a week, including nights, weekends and holidays.
Skills Employers Look For
- An active New Mexico or multistate compact RN license
- Current BLS, plus ACLS or PALS for acute care units
- Sound clinical judgment and assessment skills
- Electronic health record charting
- Calm communication with patients and families
- Teamwork across nursing, techs and providers
Career Path and Advancement
Many Albuquerque nurses start in a new graduate residency or on a med surg unit, then move into critical care, the ER or labor and delivery after a year or two. From there the ladder runs to charge nurse, educator and nurse manager, and nurses who started with a CNM associate degree can finish a BSN through UNM. Nurses who want to keep climbing go on to graduate school for advanced practice or leadership roles.
Related Careers in Albuquerque
If nursing interests you, these Albuquerque guides are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an RN license in New Mexico?
Graduate from an approved nursing program, apply to the New Mexico Board of Nursing, complete fingerprinting and pass the NCLEX-RN. Nurses licensed in a non-compact state apply by endorsement instead.
How much do registered nurses make in Albuquerque?
New graduate RNs generally start around $37 to $42 an hour, experienced staff nurses earn about $42 to $50, and specialty nurses can top $58 an hour. Presbyterian has posted a pre-op RN range of $39.69 to $58.17 an hour.
Is New Mexico a compact nursing state?
Yes. New Mexico belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a multistate license from another compact state is valid here. Since June 1, 2026 the New Mexico Board of Nursing charges a $50 fee for a multistate license.
Do Albuquerque hospitals hire new graduate nurses?
Yes. UNM Hospital runs a new graduate RN residency with unit orientation, monthly seminars and trained mentors. Other systems also post roles open to recent graduates, so check each listing for the experience it asks for.
How long does nursing school take in Albuquerque?
CNM's associate nursing degree takes about four terms after you are admitted, plus prerequisites. UNM's BSN takes about 20 months after admission to the nursing major.
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