HR Assistant salary in Houston-Pasadena, TX
Houston-Pasadena pays HR assistants more than Texas as a whole but less than the country. The median is $48,890 a year1: 2.8% above the Texas statewide median of $47,540 and 3.4% below the US median of $50,610. Nationally it ranks #170 of 384 areas. BLS counts about 1,140 people in this job here, 19% of the Texas total.
BLS occupation 43-4161, area Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Houston-Pasadena against Texas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | $32,700 | $48,890 | $68,180 | |
| Texas | $32,180 | $47,540 | $64,940 | |
| United States | $37,340 | $50,610 | $68,280 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $68,180 or more, 2.1 times the bottom tenth, against 1.8 times across the US. Two offers for the same title can sit far apart. The middle half of HR assistants in Houston-Pasadena earns $39,610–$57,410. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $17,800 wide, wider than in Texas as a whole ($17,400) and the US ($15,770), so what a HR assistant earns in Houston-Pasadena depends more on the employer.
What to budget for an HR assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $32,700 | $2,725 | $15.72 | $42,194 |
| 25th percentile | $39,610 | $3,301 | $19.04 | $51,110 |
| Median | $48,890 | $4,074 | $23.50 | $63,084 |
| 75th percentile | $57,410 | $4,784 | $27.60 | $74,077 |
| 90th percentile | $68,180 | $5,682 | $32.78 | $87,974 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,520 a year in pay and about $10,994 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $9,280 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 $50,610 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Houston-Pasadena, and the Texas statewide median of $47,540 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Houston-Pasadena
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 $14,194 to the $48,890 median and brings it to $63,084 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 HR 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 Houston-Pasadena
Of the 17 roles we track in Houston-Pasadena, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($49,460) and administrative assistants ($46,750). Project Coordinator is the highest at $99,510.
| Role | Median | vs HR assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +10.6% | 3,260 | |
| Bookkeeper | +1.2% | 26,090 | |
| HR Assistant | this role | 1,140 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -4.4% | 33,710 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -6.7% | 1,270 |
Measured against the US median, HR assistants rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Houston-Pasadena (-3.4%), between project coordinators (-2.7%) and medical administrative assistants (-3.7%). The typical role here is at -3.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. HR assistants hold 0.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Houston-Pasadena, 0.4% across Texas and 0.6% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Texas
Across the 24 areas of Texas with data for this job, the median runs from $25,170 in College Station-Bryan to $53,640 in Midland, a gap of $28,470 a year. The one area in Texas with more HR assistants, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX ($52,150), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Houston-Pasadena | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | +6.7% | 1,630 | |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | +2.1% | 120 | |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | +0.0% | 510 | |
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | this area | 1,140 | |
| Abilene, TX | -1.1% | 30 | |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | -1.7% | 600 | |
| Wichita Falls, TX | -6.1% | 40 |
Houston-Pasadena against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Houston-Pasadena is #15 of 382 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Texas, Elmira and Miami-Fort Lauderdale pay just above Houston-Pasadena and Utica-Rome and Louisville just below. All four are within $30 a year of the median in Houston-Pasadena. Of the three markets with about as many HR assistants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Houston-Pasadena | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | +17.5% | 1,150 | jobs | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | +14.2% | 1,240 | jobs | |
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | +2.6% | 1,080 | jobs | |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +0.1% | 830 | pay | |
| Elmira, NY | +0.0% | 50 | pay | |
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | this area | 1,140 | ||
| Utica-Rome, NY | -0.0% | 100 | pay | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | -0.0% | 400 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an HR assistant in Houston-Pasadena, TX?
About $63,084 a year at the median, or $5,257 a month: $48,890 in pay plus about $14,194 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do HR assistants earn in Houston-Pasadena?
The median was $48,890 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $32,700, the 90th $68,180, and the middle half earned $39,610 to $57,410.
Is Houston-Pasadena cheaper than the rest of Texas for HR assistants?
No, it costs more: a median of $48,890 against $47,540 statewide. The next area up in Texas is Austin-Round Rock at $48,900, the next down Abilene at $48,350.
How many HR assistants work in Houston-Pasadena?
BLS counts about 1,140 in the May 2025 survey. That is 19% of the Texas total of 5,890. Only Dallas-Fort Worth has more in Texas.
Does an HR assistant cost more than an administrative assistant in Houston-Pasadena?
Yes: $2,140 a year more at the median. The medians are $48,890 and $46,750.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4161: 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.