Cost of hiring in McAllen-Edinburg, TX
BLS counts about 28,300 people in these 17 roles in McAllen-Edinburg1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($69,910 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($28,530), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 8,270 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in McAllen-Edinburg
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | -17.2% | 2,070 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -17.9% | 3,180 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -20.0% | 8,270 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -20.0% | 60 | |
| Office Manager | -20.0% | 3,040 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -20.8% | 2,230 | |
| Executive Assistant | -21.1% | 420 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -21.4% | 370 | |
| HR Assistant | -21.6% | 80 | |
| Accountant | -23.0% | 1,430 | |
| Paralegal | -24.7% | 560 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -24.9% | 1,780 | |
| Recruiter | -29.4% | 970 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -29.5% | 1,910 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -30.0% | 280 | |
| Project Coordinator | -31.7% | 1,080 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -38.6% | 570 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $35,830 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $46,232 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
McAllen-Edinburg against the US
McAllen-Edinburg pays below the US median for all 17 roles. The gap is smallest for bookkeepers (-17.2%) and administrative assistants (-17.9%) and largest for marketing specialists (-38.6%). The middle gap across all 17 is -21.6%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for executive assistants, #346 of 509 areas by median pay; its lowest is for virtual receptionists, #521 of 521.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, McAllen-Edinburg has more customer support specialists (29.2% of these jobs here, against 16.4% nationally) and data entry specialists (1.3% against 0.8%), and fewer marketing specialists (2.0% against 5.7%) and e-commerce order specialists (0.2% against 0.5%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Hattiesburg, MS is nearest, at -21.5%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | -20.8% | 11 | 3,450 |
| Dothan, AL | -21.1% | 14 | 5,820 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | -21.4% | 14 | 5,090 |
| Hattiesburg, MS | -21.5% | 15 | 5,210 |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | -21.6% (this area) | 17 | 28,300 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | -22.1% | 16 | 7,690 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in McAllen-Edinburg span $27,360–$102,020, the widest band (3.7×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $29,750–$45,520. Wider than nationally for HR assistants and project coordinators, narrower for customer support specialists and recruiters. Budget from the median for marketing specialists, sales development representatives, project coordinators and 2 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($57,630 against a $48,350 median for marketing specialists).
McAllen-Edinburg against Texas
Against Texas as a whole, McAllen-Edinburg pays less for every one of the 17 roles with a statewide figure. It comes closest for customer support specialists (-11.4%) and is furthest below for marketing specialists (-33.3%). It has the lowest median in Texas for payroll specialists and virtual receptionists.
Other areas in Texas
By jobs in these roles, McAllen-Edinburg is #6 of 32 areas in Texas. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Dallas-Fort Worth to Brownsville-Harlingen.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | 461,960 | 17 |
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | 349,890 | 17 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 169,360 | 17 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 130,870 | 17 |
| El Paso, TX | 37,770 | 17 |
| North Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | 22,300 | 17 |
| Hill Country Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | 18,810 | 17 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 17,370 | 17 |
| Lubbock, TX | 17,180 | 17 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 15,460 | 17 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in McAllen-Edinburg?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $69,910 a year, about $90,206 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $28,530.
Is hiring in McAllen-Edinburg cheaper than the US median?
Yes, for every role we track: all 17 medians are below the US figure, the furthest for marketing specialists (-38.6%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.