Average Salaries in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
Explore salaries across 314 occupations in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $55.3K, -15.9% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 314 occupations and 149,970 total jobs in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX.
How the metro compares
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX is among the lower-paying metros. Most occupations here earn less than their national averages, though cost of living is typically lower too.
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Physicians, All Other. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $330.9K | 150 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $215.5K | 80 |
| Chief Executives | $178.9K | 50 |
| Pediatricians, General | $168.6K | 50 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $157.2K | 50 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $137.9K | 180 |
| Dentists, General | $134.6K | 80 |
| Pharmacists | $131.3K | 240 |
| Engineers, All Other | $130K | 100 |
| Financial Managers | $129.8K | 320 |
Largest occupations in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 21,990 | $23.5K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 6,570 | $22.5K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 4,880 | $38.4K |
| Retail Salespersons | 3,820 | $27.8K |
| General And Operations Managers | 3,440 | $75.4K |
| Cashiers | 3,420 | $26.3K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 2,960 | $34.7K |
| Registered Nurses | 2,930 | $81.1K |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,900 | $33.3K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 2,490 | $30.7K |
What Brownsville-Harlingen, TX specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Detectives And Criminal Investigators | 7.61 | $109.3K |
| Archivists | 5.65 | $38.3K |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School | 5.29 | $62.2K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 5.04 | $23.5K |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School | 5.03 | $62.3K |
| Healthcare Support Workers, All Other | 4.89 | $40.7K |
| Office And Administrative Support Workers, All Other | 4.71 | $31.6K |
| Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten And Elementary School | 4.01 | $61.4K |
| Child, Family, And School Social Workers | 3.92 | $40.6K |
| Structural Metal Fabricators And Fitters | 2.61 | $44.7K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.