Recruiter salary in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
Hiring a recruiter costs less in Brownsville-Harlingen than in Texas or the country as a whole. The median is $55,550 a year1: 19.4% below the Texas statewide median of $68,920 and 26.9% below the US median of $75,940. Only 17 of 521 US areas pay less for this job. About 600 recruiters work here.
BLS occupation 13-1071, 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 | $36,790 | $55,550 | $91,730 | |
| Texas | $43,410 | $68,920 | $117,060 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in Brownsville-Harlingen earns $44,750–$73,860. The top tenth earns $91,730 or more, 2.5 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.7 times. The mean ($60,730) is 9% 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 $29,110 wide, against $37,890 across Texas and $40,770 nationally: employers in Brownsville-Harlingen pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a recruiter here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,790 | $3,066 | $17.69 | $47,471 |
| 25th percentile | $44,750 | $3,729 | $21.51 | $57,742 |
| Median | $55,550 | $4,629 | $26.71 | $71,677 |
| 75th percentile | $73,860 | $6,155 | $35.51 | $95,303 |
| 90th percentile | $91,730 | $7,644 | $44.10 | $118,361 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $18,310 over the median, the 25th only $10,800 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $23,626 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 $75,940 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles in Brownsville-Harlingen, and the Texas statewide median of $68,920 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local recruiters earn.
What a hire really costs in Brownsville-Harlingen
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 $16,127 to the $55,550 median and brings it to $71,677 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 recruiters 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 #4 by median pay, between executive assistants ($60,060) and office managers ($49,010). Project Coordinator is the highest at $73,050.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +19.6% | 690 | |
| Executive Assistant | +8.1% | 190 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 600 | |
| Office Manager | -11.8% | 1,560 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -14.8% | 310 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in Brownsville-Harlingen (-26.9%), between virtual receptionists (-24.4%) and paralegals (-27.7%). The typical role here is at -24.4%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Recruiters hold 3.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Brownsville-Harlingen, 5.4% across Texas and 5.8% 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 $46,630 in Eagle Pass to $78,650 in Midland, a gap of $32,020 a year. Of the 13 areas in Texas with more recruiters than Brownsville-Harlingen, 1 pays less: McAllen-Edinburg, TX ($53,600).
| Area | Median | vs Brownsville-Harlingen | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso, TX | +6.2% | 1,800 | |
| Tyler, TX | +5.8% | 490 | |
| Hill Country Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | +3.4% | 750 | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | this area | 600 | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | -3.5% | 970 | |
| Laredo, TX | -6.8% | 430 | |
| Eagle Pass, TX | -16.1% | 50 |
Brownsville-Harlingen against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Brownsville-Harlingen is #202 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Texas, Gadsden and Lafayette pay just above Brownsville-Harlingen and Dalton and Valdosta just below. All four are within $520 a year of the median in Brownsville-Harlingen. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Brownsville-Harlingen | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | +48.4% | 610 | jobs | |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | +42.1% | 600 | jobs | |
| Flint, MI | +15.7% | 600 | jobs | |
| Lafayette, LA | +0.9% | 540 | pay | |
| Gadsden, AL | +0.3% | 120 | pay | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | this area | 600 | ||
| Dalton, GA | -0.1% | 400 | pay | |
| Valdosta, GA | -0.5% | 260 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
About $71,677 a year at the median, or $5,973 a month: $55,550 in pay plus about $16,127 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for recruiters in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $55,550 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,790, the 90th $91,730, and the middle half earned $44,750 to $73,860.
Is Brownsville-Harlingen cheaper than the rest of Texas for recruiters?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $55,550 against $68,920 statewide. The next area up in Texas is the Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetro area at $57,450, the next down McAllen-Edinburg at $53,600.
How many recruiters work in Brownsville-Harlingen?
BLS counts about 600 in the May 2025 survey. 13 areas in Texas have more; the closest in size is Lubbock, with about 610.
Does a recruiter cost more than an office manager in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Yes: $6,540 a year more at the median. The medians are $55,550 and $49,010.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1071: 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.