Bookkeeper salary in McAllen-Edinburg, TX
Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in McAllen-Edinburg than in Texas or the country as a whole. The median is $41,960 a year1: 14.2% below the Texas statewide median of $48,910 and 17.2% below the US median of $50,670. Nationally that is #488 of 521 areas, in the bottom tenth. About 2,070 bookkeepers work here, 2% of the Texas total.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in McAllen-Edinburg against Texas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | $29,550 | $41,960 | $62,460 | |
| Texas | $33,480 | $48,910 | $72,810 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
Bookkeepers at the 90th percentile earn $62,460, 2.1 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.1. The middle half of bookkeepers in McAllen-Edinburg earns $34,800–$49,060. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $14,260 wide, against $19,610 across Texas and $17,950 nationally: employers in McAllen-Edinburg 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 | $29,550 | $2,462 | $14.21 | $38,129 |
| 25th percentile | $34,800 | $2,900 | $16.73 | $44,903 |
| Median | $41,960 | $3,497 | $20.17 | $54,142 |
| 75th percentile | $49,060 | $4,088 | $23.59 | $63,303 |
| 90th percentile | $62,460 | $5,205 | $30.03 | $80,594 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,100 a year in pay and about $9,161 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,160 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 McAllen-Edinburg, 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 McAllen-Edinburg
At the $41,960 median, a local hire costs about $54,142 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $12,182 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 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 McAllen-Edinburg
Of the 17 roles we track in McAllen-Edinburg, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between paralegals ($47,330) and payroll specialists ($40,810). Project Coordinator is the highest at $69,910.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +15.2% | 570 | |
| Paralegal | +12.8% | 560 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 2,070 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -2.7% | 280 | |
| HR Assistant | -5.4% | 80 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 17 roles we track in McAllen-Edinburg (-17.2%); marketing specialists come last (-38.6%). The typical role here is at -21.6%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in McAllen-Edinburg than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 7.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in McAllen-Edinburg, 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 8 areas in Texas with more bookkeepers than McAllen-Edinburg, 1 pays less: El Paso, TX ($41,530).
| Area | Median | vs McAllen-Edinburg | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita Falls, TX | +4.6% | 490 | |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | +4.4% | 420 | |
| Eagle Pass, TX | +2.2% | 190 | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | this area | 2,070 | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | -1.0% | 1,020 | |
| El Paso, TX | -1.0% | 2,790 | |
| Laredo, TX | -5.4% | 1,070 |
McAllen-Edinburg against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, McAllen-Edinburg is #115 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, yet its pay sits in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Texas, Monroe and Beckley pay just above McAllen-Edinburg and Anniston-Oxford and Johnstown just below. All four are within $610 a year of the median in McAllen-Edinburg. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs McAllen-Edinburg | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | +45.7% | 2,040 | jobs | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | +34.1% | 2,080 | jobs | |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | +11.9% | 2,050 | jobs | |
| Beckley, WV | +1.5% | 450 | pay | |
| Monroe, LA | +0.0% | 1,020 | pay | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | this area | 2,070 | ||
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | -0.5% | 330 | pay | |
| Johnstown, PA | -0.5% | 410 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in McAllen-Edinburg, TX?
About $54,142 a year at the median, or $4,512 a month: $41,960 in pay plus about $12,182 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in McAllen-Edinburg?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $41,960 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,550, the 90th $62,460, and the middle half earned $34,800 to $49,060.
Is McAllen-Edinburg cheaper than the rest of Texas for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $41,960 against $48,910 statewide. The next area up in Texas is Eagle Pass at $42,900, the next down Brownsville-Harlingen at $41,530.
How many bookkeepers work in McAllen-Edinburg?
BLS counts about 2,070 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Texas total of 122,400. 8 areas in Texas have more; the closest in size is the Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetro area, with about 2,210.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than a payroll specialist in McAllen-Edinburg?
Yes: $1,150 a year more at the median. The medians are $41,960 and $40,810.
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.