Medical Administrative Assistant salary in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
Hiring a medical administrative assistant costs less in Brownsville-Harlingen than in Texas or the country as a whole. The median is $37,030 a year1: 13.7% below the Texas statewide median of $42,910 and 19.4% below the US median of $45,930. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#453 of 516). BLS counts about 1,050 people in this job here, 1% of the Texas total.
BLS occupation 43-6013, 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 | $30,520 | $37,030 | $47,440 | |
| Texas | $33,090 | $42,910 | $56,570 | |
| United States | $35,930 | $45,930 | $60,530 |
Medical administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $47,440, 1.6 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 1.7. The middle half of medical administrative assistants in Brownsville-Harlingen earns $33,280–$42,560. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $9,280 wide, against $10,680 across Texas and $12,010 nationally: employers in Brownsville-Harlingen pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a medical administrative assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $30,520 | $2,543 | $14.67 | $39,381 |
| 25th percentile | $33,280 | $2,773 | $16.00 | $42,942 |
| Median | $37,030 | $3,086 | $17.80 | $47,781 |
| 75th percentile | $42,560 | $3,547 | $20.46 | $54,916 |
| 90th percentile | $47,440 | $3,953 | $22.81 | $61,213 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $3,750 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $5,530, or about $7,135 once benefits are added. 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 $45,930 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles in Brownsville-Harlingen, and the Texas statewide median of $42,910 falls there too. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local medical administrative assistants earn.
What a hire really costs in Brownsville-Harlingen
At the $37,030 median, a local hire costs about $47,781 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $10,751 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 medical administrative 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 Brownsville-Harlingen
Of the 17 roles we track in Brownsville-Harlingen, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between customer support specialists ($38,350) and e-commerce order specialists ($36,670). Project Coordinator is the highest at $73,050.
| Role | Median | vs medical administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +4.8% | 1,760 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +3.6% | 4,880 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | this role | 1,050 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -1.0% | 30 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -21.7% | 160 |
Measured against the US median, medical administrative assistants rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in Brownsville-Harlingen (-19.4%), between administrative assistants (-18.4%) and e-commerce order specialists (-20.6%). The typical role here is at -24.4%, so, measured against the US, medical administrative assistants cost more in Brownsville-Harlingen than the area's general pay level would suggest. Medical administrative assistants hold 6.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Brownsville-Harlingen, 5.0% across Texas and 6.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Texas
Across the 32 areas of Texas with data for this job, the median runs from $35,340 in Texarkana to $46,510 in Austin-Round Rock, a gap of $11,170 a year. Of the 10 areas in Texas with more medical administrative assistants than Brownsville-Harlingen, 2 pay less: McAllen-Edinburg, TX ($36,370) and El Paso, TX ($36,790).
| Area | Median | vs Brownsville-Harlingen | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | +1.5% | 1,070 | |
| Border Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | +1.1% | 180 | |
| Laredo, TX | +0.4% | 540 | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | this area | 1,050 | |
| Longview, TX | -0.2% | 610 | |
| Northwestern Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | -0.2% | 500 | |
| El Paso, TX | -0.6% | 1,860 |
Brownsville-Harlingen against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Brownsville-Harlingen is #158 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, Monroe and Owensboro pay just above Brownsville-Harlingen and Florence and Elizabethtown just below. All four are within $110 a year of the median in Brownsville-Harlingen. Of the three markets with about as many medical administrative assistants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Brownsville-Harlingen | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +34.3% | 1,040 | jobs | |
| Peoria, IL | +20.3% | 1,050 | jobs | |
| Bowling Green, KY | +2.5% | 1,040 | jobs | |
| Owensboro, KY | +0.1% | 520 | pay | |
| Monroe, MI | +0.1% | 160 | pay | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | this area | 1,050 | ||
| Florence, SC | +0.0% | 790 | pay | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | -0.3% | 520 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a medical administrative assistant in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
About $47,781 a year at the median, or $3,982 a month: $37,030 in pay plus about $10,751 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for medical administrative assistants in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $37,030 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $30,520, the 90th $47,440, and the middle half earned $33,280 to $42,560.
Is Brownsville-Harlingen cheaper than the rest of Texas for medical administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $37,030 against $42,910 statewide. The next area up in Texas is Laredo at $37,190, the next down Longview at $36,970.
How many medical administrative assistants work in Brownsville-Harlingen?
BLS counts about 1,050 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the Texas total of 78,740. 10 areas in Texas have more; the closest in size is the North Region of Texas nonmetro area, with about 1,070.
Does a medical administrative assistant cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Yes: $360 a year more at the median. The medians are $37,030 and $36,670.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6013: 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.