Counter and Rental Clerks Salary
Counter and Rental Clerks in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX make a median of $31,200 a year, or about $15 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.97), which stretches that salary to about $36,292 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,047/month, about 46.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $31K get you in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Brownsville-Harlingen’s Regional Price Parity (85.97). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About counter and rental clerks
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What this looks like in Brownsville-Harlingen
Pay for counter and rental clerks in Brownsville-Harlingen runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $41K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,047/month, which is 46.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for counter and rental clerkss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for counter and rental clerks in metros near Brownsville-Harlingen, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $38K | $37K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $38K | $38K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $36K | $38K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $38K | $39K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
Entry-level counter and rental clerks (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $36K spread from bottom to top.
Counter and Rental Clerks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Counter and Rental Clerks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $54K | +30% | 480 |
| New Jersey | $49K | +18% | 9,540 |
| Vermont | $48K | +17% | 750 |
| Washington | $48K | +16% | 14,600 |
| New Hampshire | $47K | +14% | 1,590 |
| Maine | $47K | +13% | 1,180 |
| Rhode Island | $46K | +12% | 840 |
| New York | $46K | +12% | 18,320 |
| Colorado | $46K | +12% | 13,900 |
| Wisconsin | $46K | +11% | 6,600 |
| Virginia | $46K | +10% | 12,910 |
| California | $45K | +9% | 67,770 |
| Minnesota | $45K | +9% | 4,710 |
| North Dakota | $45K | +8% | 1,460 |
| Hawaii | $44K | +8% | 1,700 |
| Massachusetts | $44K | +7% | 8,220 |
| Arizona | $44K | +6% | 11,080 |
| Montana | $44K | +6% | 1,490 |
| Wyoming | $44K | +6% | 900 |
| Oregon | $44K | +6% | 5,450 |
| Alaska | $43K | +5% | 660 |
| Pennsylvania | $43K | +4% | 10,780 |
| Maryland | $39K | -4% | 4,060 |
| Connecticut | $39K | -4% | 3,060 |
| Idaho | $39K | -5% | 2,070 |
| Michigan | $39K | -5% | 13,410 |
| Nevada | $39K | -5% | 2,460 |
| Kansas | $39K | -5% | 2,990 |
| Kentucky | $39K | -6% | 2,960 |
| Iowa | $39K | -6% | 1,900 |
| Delaware | $39K | -7% | 870 |
| Ohio | $39K | -7% | 9,400 |
| Georgia | $39K | -7% | 11,490 |
| North Carolina | $38K | -7% | 17,580 |
| Illinois | $38K | -8% | 8,440 |
| Tennessee | $38K | -8% | 7,640 |
| Missouri | $38K | -8% | 4,880 |
| Florida | $38K | -8% | 27,160 |
| Utah | $38K | -9% | 3,280 |
| South Carolina | $37K | -10% | 6,280 |
| Texas | $37K | -10% | 36,600 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -10% | 3,920 |
| Indiana | $37K | -11% | 7,990 |
| Nebraska | $36K | -12% | 3,960 |
| South Dakota | $36K | -12% | 690 |
| Mississippi | $36K | -12% | 2,820 |
| New Mexico | $36K | -14% | 2,360 |
| Alabama | $35K | -15% | 8,010 |
| Arkansas | $35K | -15% | 3,560 |
| Louisiana | $35K | -15% | 3,740 |
| West Virginia | $35K | -16% | 2,300 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track counter and rental clerks salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a counter and rental clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Brownsville-Harlingen?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 46.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,047/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for counter and rental clerks in Brownsville-Harlingen?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new counter and rental clerks typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,435/month. At HUD’s $1,047/month FMR, rent would take 73% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is counter and rental clerk a high-paying job in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $31K here vs. $41K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Brownsville-Harlingen compare to the national average for counter and rental clerks?
Brownsville-Harlingen pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do counter and rental clerks make in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
The median is $31,200 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,910, and experienced counter and rental clerks can clear $60,210. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Brownsville-Harlingen?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,259/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,047/month, which eats 46.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a counter and rental clerks salary go in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Brownsville-Harlingen has a Regional Price Parity of 85.97 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median counter and rental clerks salary is worth about $36,292 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do counter and rental clerks get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.
