Administrative Assistant salary in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
Hiring an administrative assistant costs less in Brownsville-Harlingen than in Texas or the country as a whole. The median is $38,800 a year1: 14.0% below the Texas statewide median of $45,140 and 18.4% below the US median of $47,540. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#451 of 520). About 1,760 administrative assistants work here, 1% of the Texas total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Brownsville-Harlingen, TX. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Brownsville-Harlingen against Texas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $26,710 | $38,800 | $58,210 | |
| Texas | $29,810 | $45,140 | $63,020 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
Administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $58,210, 2.2 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of administrative assistants in Brownsville-Harlingen earns $31,770–$47,760. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $15,990 wide, against $17,510 across Texas and $19,170 nationally: employers in Brownsville-Harlingen pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an administrative assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $26,710 | $2,226 | $12.84 | $34,465 |
| 25th percentile | $31,770 | $2,648 | $15.27 | $40,994 |
| Median | $38,800 | $3,233 | $18.65 | $50,065 |
| 75th percentile | $47,760 | $3,980 | $22.96 | $61,626 |
| 90th percentile | $58,210 | $4,851 | $27.99 | $75,110 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $7,030 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $8,960, or about $11,561 once benefits are added. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $47,540 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Brownsville-Harlingen, and the Texas statewide median of $45,140 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Brownsville-Harlingen
At the $38,800 median, a local hire costs about $50,065 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,265 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for administrative assistants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Brownsville-Harlingen
Of the 17 roles we track in Brownsville-Harlingen, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between HR assistants ($38,880) and customer support specialists ($38,350). Project Coordinator is the highest at $73,050.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +7.0% | 1,020 | |
| HR Assistant | +0.2% | 60 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 1,760 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -1.2% | 4,880 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -4.6% | 1,050 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in Brownsville-Harlingen (-18.4%), between bookkeepers (-18.0%) and medical administrative assistants (-19.4%). The typical role here is at -24.4%, so, measured against the US, administrative assistants cost more in Brownsville-Harlingen than the area's general pay level would suggest. Administrative assistants hold 11.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Brownsville-Harlingen, 9.5% across Texas and 10.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Texas
Across the 32 areas of Texas with data for this job, the median runs from $36,310 in Eagle Pass to $48,470 in Austin-Round Rock, a gap of $12,160 a year. All 13 areas in Texas with more administrative assistants than Brownsville-Harlingen also pay more, among them Dallas-Fort Worth, TX ($47,450) and Houston-Pasadena, TX ($46,750).
| Area | Median | vs Brownsville-Harlingen | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita Falls, TX | +0.9% | 730 | |
| Eastern Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | +0.8% | 1,570 | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | +0.5% | 3,180 | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | this area | 1,760 | |
| Amarillo, TX | -0.4% | 1,410 | |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | -3.4% | 670 | |
| Laredo, TX | -4.4% | 1,310 |
Brownsville-Harlingen against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Brownsville-Harlingen is #179 of 520 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Texas, Homosassa Springs and Little Rock-North Little Rock pay just above Brownsville-Harlingen and Muncie and Johnstown just below. All four are within $140 a year of the median in Brownsville-Harlingen. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Brownsville-Harlingen | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | +21.5% | 1,770 | jobs | |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | +14.1% | 1,770 | jobs | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | +4.4% | 1,770 | jobs | |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR | +0.1% | 2,160 | pay | |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | +0.1% | 400 | pay | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | this area | 1,760 | ||
| Muncie, IN | -0.1% | 340 | pay | |
| Johnstown, PA | -0.4% | 700 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
About $50,065 a year at the median, or $4,172 a month: $38,800 in pay plus about $11,265 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for administrative assistants in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $38,800 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $26,710, the 90th $58,210, and the middle half earned $31,770 to $47,760.
Is Brownsville-Harlingen cheaper than the rest of Texas for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $38,800 against $45,140 statewide. The next area up in Texas is McAllen-Edinburg at $39,010, the next down Amarillo at $38,660.
How many administrative assistants work in Brownsville-Harlingen?
BLS counts about 1,760 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the Texas total of 149,650. 13 areas in Texas have more; the closest in size is Lubbock, with about 1,910.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Yes: $450 a year more at the median. The medians are $38,800 and $38,350.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6014: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.