Industrial Engineers Salary
Industrial Engineers in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX make a median of $73,070 a year, or about $35.13 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $117K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.97), which stretches that salary to about $84,995 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,047/month, or 20.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $73K 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 industrial engineers
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What this looks like in Brownsville-Harlingen
Pay for industrial engineers in Brownsville-Harlingen runs about 29% below the U.S. median of $102K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,047/month, 21% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. 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. Lower pay, lower costs, Brownsville-Harlingen can be a reasonable trade-off for industrial engineerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for industrial engineers in metros near Brownsville-Harlingen, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $106K | $102K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $112K | $113K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $104K | $106K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $99K | $105K |
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 industrial engineers (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $73K. Top earners bring in $117K or more, a $74K spread from bottom to top.
Industrial Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Industrial Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $157K | +53% | 220 |
| Washington | $129K | +26% | 6,130 |
| Oregon | $128K | +25% | 5,810 |
| New Mexico | $128K | +25% | 1,140 |
| California | $125K | +22% | 32,680 |
| Hawaii | $124K | +21% | 50 |
| Louisiana | $123K | +20% | 1,710 |
| Wyoming | $122K | +19% | 240 |
| Delaware | $120K | +17% | 820 |
| Maryland | $120K | +17% | 3,900 |
| Colorado | $110K | +7% | 5,200 |
| Massachusetts | $109K | +7% | 11,470 |
| Rhode Island | $109K | +7% | 990 |
| West Virginia | $108K | +6% | 850 |
| Arizona | $108K | +6% | 7,520 |
| Texas | $105K | +2% | 30,980 |
| Montana | $104K | +2% | 390 |
| Connecticut | $104K | +2% | 6,020 |
| Utah | $104K | +1% | 5,520 |
| New Jersey | $104K | +1% | 6,870 |
| District of Columbia | $103K | +1% | 160 |
| Vermont | $103K | +1% | 440 |
| Minnesota | $103K | +0% | 17,580 |
| New York | $103K | +0% | 11,810 |
| Virginia | $103K | +0% | 5,580 |
| Nevada | $102K | -0% | 1,570 |
| Michigan | $102K | -1% | 30,990 |
| Florida | $102K | -1% | 14,050 |
| New Hampshire | $101K | -1% | 1,940 |
| South Carolina | $101K | -1% | 7,960 |
| Maine | $101K | -1% | 1,030 |
| Idaho | $101K | -2% | 1,330 |
| Illinois | $101K | -2% | 18,640 |
| Georgia | $100K | -2% | 8,940 |
| Ohio | $100K | -2% | 23,480 |
| Alabama | $100K | -2% | 7,650 |
| Kansas | $100K | -3% | 3,450 |
| Pennsylvania | $100K | -3% | 13,180 |
| North Carolina | $99K | -3% | 11,580 |
| Missouri | $99K | -3% | 5,070 |
| Tennessee | $99K | -3% | 7,440 |
| Arkansas | $98K | -4% | 1,710 |
| Nebraska | $98K | -4% | 1,160 |
| Iowa | $98K | -5% | 3,600 |
| Oklahoma | $98K | -5% | 2,170 |
| Indiana | $97K | -5% | 11,680 |
| Wisconsin | $97K | -5% | 13,070 |
| North Dakota | $97K | -5% | 600 |
| Kentucky | $97K | -5% | 6,070 |
| Mississippi | $96K | -6% | 2,450 |
| South Dakota | $93K | -9% | 830 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track industrial engineers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a industrial engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Yes — at the median salary of $73K, rent takes 21% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,047/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for industrial engineers in Brownsville-Harlingen?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new industrial engineers typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,602/month. At HUD’s $1,047/month FMR, rent would take 40% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is industrial engineer a high-paying job in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Local pay runs 29% below the national median — $73K here vs. $102K 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 industrial engineers?
Brownsville-Harlingen pays $73K median vs. the U.S. average of $102K — that’s -29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $85K — below the national median.
How much do industrial engineers make in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
The median is $73,070 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,360, and experienced industrial engineers can clear $117,340. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $73K enough to live in Brownsville-Harlingen?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,983/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,047/month, which eats 21% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a industrial engineers 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 industrial engineers salary is worth about $84,995 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do industrial engineers 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.