Bookkeeper salary in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
Brownsville-Harlingen is a lower-cost market for bookkeepers: the median of $41,530 a year1 is 15.1% below the Texas statewide median of $48,910, and 18.0% below the US median of $50,670. Only 27 of 521 US areas pay less for this job. About 1,020 bookkeepers work here.
BLS occupation 43-3031, 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 | $28,620 | $41,530 | $60,130 | |
| Texas | $33,480 | $48,910 | $72,810 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
Bookkeepers at the 90th percentile earn $60,130, 2.1 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.1. The middle half of bookkeepers in Brownsville-Harlingen earns $35,600–$49,410. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $13,810 wide, against $19,610 across Texas and $17,950 nationally: employers in Brownsville-Harlingen pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28,620 | $2,385 | $13.76 | $36,929 |
| 25th percentile | $35,600 | $2,967 | $17.12 | $45,935 |
| Median | $41,530 | $3,461 | $19.97 | $53,587 |
| 75th percentile | $49,410 | $4,118 | $23.75 | $63,755 |
| 90th percentile | $60,130 | $5,011 | $28.91 | $77,587 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,880 a year in pay and about $10,168 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $5,930 in pay. 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 $50,670 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles in Brownsville-Harlingen, and the Texas statewide median of $48,910 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local bookkeepers earn.
What a hire really costs in Brownsville-Harlingen
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $12,057 to the $41,530 median and brings it to $53,587 a year. 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 bookkeepers 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 #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($42,070) and HR assistants ($38,880). Project Coordinator is the highest at $73,050.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +7.1% | 1,010 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +1.3% | 140 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 1,020 | |
| HR Assistant | -6.4% | 60 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -6.6% | 1,760 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Brownsville-Harlingen (-18.0%), between customer support specialists (-14.3%) and administrative assistants (-18.4%). The typical role here is at -24.4%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Brownsville-Harlingen than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 6.6% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Brownsville-Harlingen, 7.8% across Texas and 8.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Texas
Across the 32 areas of Texas with data for this job, the median runs from $39,710 in Laredo to $54,320 in Austin-Round Rock, a gap of $14,610 a year. Of the 20 areas in Texas with more bookkeepers than Brownsville-Harlingen, 1 pays less: Laredo, TX ($39,710).
| Area | Median | vs Brownsville-Harlingen | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita Falls, TX | +5.7% | 490 | |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | +5.5% | 420 | |
| Eagle Pass, TX | +3.3% | 190 | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | +1.0% | 2,070 | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | this area | 1,020 | |
| El Paso, TX | +0.0% | 2,790 | |
| Laredo, TX | -4.4% | 1,070 |
Brownsville-Harlingen against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Brownsville-Harlingen is #268 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Texas, Johnstown and Anniston-Oxford pay just above Brownsville-Harlingen and Dothan and Gadsden just below. All four are within $720 a year of the median in Brownsville-Harlingen. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Brownsville-Harlingen | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | +36.5% | 1,020 | jobs | |
| Greeley, CO | +22.0% | 1,020 | jobs | |
| Fayetteville, NC | +9.2% | 1,020 | jobs | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | +0.5% | 330 | pay | |
| Johnstown, PA | +0.5% | 410 | pay | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | this area | 1,020 | ||
| Dothan, AL | -0.5% | 560 | pay | |
| Gadsden, AL | -1.7% | 290 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
About $53,587 a year at the median, or $4,466 a month: $41,530 in pay plus about $12,057 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $41,530 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $28,620, the 90th $60,130, and the middle half earned $35,600 to $49,410.
Is Brownsville-Harlingen cheaper than the rest of Texas for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $41,530 against $48,910 statewide. The next area up in Texas is McAllen-Edinburg at $41,960, the next down El Paso at $41,530.
How many bookkeepers work in Brownsville-Harlingen?
BLS counts about 1,020 in the May 2025 survey. 20 areas in Texas have more; the closest in size is Laredo, with about 1,070.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an HR assistant in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Yes: $2,650 a year more at the median. The medians are $41,530 and $38,880.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3031: 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.