In April 2006, the Albuquerque City Council adopted Ordinance O-06-20, sponsored by Councilor Martin Heinrich, which established new minimum wage requirements for the city. The first increase to $6.75 per hour occurred on January 1, 2007. This marks the second time in two years that Albuquerque’s minimum wage has increased, with one more increase scheduled for January 1, 2009, which will bring the local minimum wage to $7.50 per hour.

Albuquerque's minimum wage stays one step ahead of the wage floor approved by the New Mexico State Legislature, which raised the statewide minimum wage to $6.50 in January 2008 and $7.50 in 2009. It also stays ahead of the federal minimum wage raise, which was raised to $5.85 on July 24, 2007, and is scheduled to rise to $6.55 on July 24, 2008 and $7.25 on July 24, 2009.

A national Economic Policy Institute study at the time of Albuquerque's minimum wage raise estimated that those impacted by the city's minimum wage raise would be 68% adults, 43% women, 42% full-time workers, and 40% the sole bread winner in their family.