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Pilots in New Mexico
5,470 active pilots lived in New Mexico at the end of 2025, making it the 38th largest pilot population in the country and 0.6% of the US total. Of those, 2,386 were student pilots and 584 held a flight instructor certificate.
Active pilots
5,470
#38 nationally
Students
2,386
44% of pilots here
Instructors
584
one per 4.1 students
By certificate
Where in New Mexico
Pilots by city of residence, from the September 2026 releasable file. That file omits airmen who decline address release, so treat these as relative weight between cities rather than counts — see methodology.
- Albuquerque1,120
- Rio Rancho216
- Las Cruces202
- Santa Fe184
- Alamogordo145
- Clovis130
- Los Lunas66
- Farmington63
- Los Alamos60
- Edgewood57
- Tijeras47
- Roswell47
The people who keep them flying
New Mexico is home to 1,701 certificated mechanics — one for every 3.2 pilots in the state.
- Mechanic1,701
- Flight Attendant1,347
- Ground Instructor457
- Repair men256
- Parachute Rigger74
- Dispatcher67