Marketing Specialist salary in McAllen-Edinburg, TX
Hiring a marketing specialist costs less in McAllen-Edinburg than in Texas or the country as a whole. The median is $48,350 a year1: 33.3% below the Texas statewide median of $72,520 and 38.6% below the US median of $78,760. Nationally that is #503 of 516 areas, in the bottom tenth. BLS counts about 570 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 13-1161, 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 | $31,600 | $48,350 | $102,970 | |
| Texas | $37,640 | $72,520 | $135,710 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
Marketing specialists at the 90th percentile earn $102,970, 3.3 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 3.6. The middle half of marketing specialists in McAllen-Edinburg earns $35,690–$68,620. The mean ($57,630) is 19% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $32,930 wide, against $46,260 across Texas and $49,960 nationally: employers in McAllen-Edinburg pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a marketing specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,600 | $2,633 | $15.19 | $40,774 |
| 25th percentile | $35,690 | $2,974 | $17.16 | $46,052 |
| Median | $48,350 | $4,029 | $23.25 | $62,387 |
| 75th percentile | $68,620 | $5,718 | $32.99 | $88,542 |
| 90th percentile | $102,970 | $8,581 | $49.50 | $132,865 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $20,270 over the median, the 25th only $12,660 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $26,155 a year in employer cost. 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 $78,760 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles in McAllen-Edinburg, and the Texas statewide median of $72,520 falls there too. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local marketing specialists earn.
What a hire really costs in McAllen-Edinburg
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 $14,037 to the $48,350 median and brings it to $62,387 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 marketing specialists 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 #7 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($49,350) and paralegals ($47,330). Project Coordinator is the highest at $69,910.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | +10.9% | 970 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +2.1% | 1,910 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 570 | |
| Paralegal | -2.1% | 560 | |
| Bookkeeper | -13.2% | 2,070 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the lowest paid of the 17 roles we track in McAllen-Edinburg (-38.6%); bookkeepers come first (-17.2%). The typical role here is at -21.6%, so, measured against the US, marketing specialists cost less in McAllen-Edinburg than the area's general pay level would suggest. Marketing specialists hold 2.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in McAllen-Edinburg, 4.0% across Texas and 5.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Texas
Across the 31 areas of Texas with data for this job, the median runs from $47,220 in Laredo to $80,460 in Austin-Round Rock, a gap of $33,240 a year. All 5 areas in Texas with more marketing specialists than McAllen-Edinburg also pay more, among them Dallas-Fort Worth, TX ($75,240) and Houston-Pasadena, TX ($67,370).
| Area | Median | vs McAllen-Edinburg | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso, TX | +4.8% | 800 | |
| San Angelo, TX | +0.4% | 130 | |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | +0.3% | 110 | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | this area | 570 | |
| Wichita Falls, TX | -1.1% | 120 | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | -2.1% | 310 | |
| Laredo, TX | -2.3% | 200 |
McAllen-Edinburg against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, McAllen-Edinburg is #164 of 514 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Texas, Hattiesburg and Gadsden pay just above McAllen-Edinburg and Beckley and Dothan just below. All four are within $560 a year of the median in McAllen-Edinburg. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs McAllen-Edinburg | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg, SC | +54.1% | 570 | jobs | |
| York-Hanover, PA | +34.5% | 570 | jobs | |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | +23.4% | 580 | jobs | |
| Gadsden, AL | +0.7% | 90 | pay | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | +0.5% | 160 | pay | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | this area | 570 | ||
| Beckley, WV | -0.6% | 90 | pay | |
| Dothan, AL | -1.2% | 170 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in McAllen-Edinburg, TX?
About $62,387 a year at the median, or $5,199 a month: $48,350 in pay plus about $14,037 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do marketing specialists earn in McAllen-Edinburg?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $48,350 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,600, the 90th $102,970, and the middle half earned $35,690 to $68,620.
Is McAllen-Edinburg cheaper than the rest of Texas for marketing specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $48,350 against $72,520 statewide. The next area up in Texas is Texarkana at $48,510, the next down Wichita Falls at $47,840.
How many marketing specialists work in McAllen-Edinburg?
BLS counts about 570 in the May 2025 survey. 5 areas in Texas have more; the closest in size is El Paso, with about 800.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than a paralegal in McAllen-Edinburg?
Yes: $1,020 a year more at the median. The medians are $48,350 and $47,330.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1161: 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.