Library Assistants, Clerical Salary
Library Assistants, Clericals in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX make a median of $24,790 a year, or about $11.92 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $30K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.97), which stretches that salary to about $28,836 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,047/month, about 56.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $25K 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 library assistants, clericals
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What this looks like in Brownsville-Harlingen
Pay for library assistants, clerical in Brownsville-Harlingen runs about 33% below the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,047/month, which is 57.3% 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 library assistants, clericals.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for library assistants, clericals in metros near Brownsville-Harlingen, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $35K | $34K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $37K | $39K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $29K | $30K |
| Lubbock | $21K | $23K |
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 library assistants, clericals (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $25K. Top earners bring in $30K or more, a $6K spread from bottom to top.
Library Assistants, Clerical pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Library Assistants, Clerical salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $59K | +61% | 100 |
| California | $48K | +30% | 11,170 |
| Washington | $48K | +29% | 2,810 |
| Nevada | $47K | +26% | 660 |
| Maryland | $46K | +24% | 730 |
| Alaska | $45K | +21% | 180 |
| Massachusetts | $43K | +15% | 2,840 |
| Oregon | $42K | +15% | 1,090 |
| Minnesota | $40K | +8% | 1,770 |
| New Jersey | $40K | +8% | 3,120 |
| Wisconsin | $40K | +7% | 1,570 |
| Connecticut | $39K | +6% | 1,810 |
| Montana | $39K | +6% | 160 |
| Arizona | $38K | +3% | 1,560 |
| Wyoming | $38K | +3% | N/A |
| Virginia | $38K | +3% | 2,170 |
| Maine | $38K | +3% | 540 |
| Florida | $38K | +3% | 3,630 |
| Tennessee | $37K | +1% | 1,110 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | +1% | 990 |
| Hawaii | $37K | +1% | 370 |
| Delaware | $37K | +0% | 270 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | -1% | 510 |
| Vermont | $36K | -1% | 350 |
| Georgia | $36K | -1% | 610 |
| Colorado | $36K | -2% | 470 |
| New York | $36K | -2% | 8,010 |
| New Mexico | $35K | -4% | 150 |
| Illinois | $35K | -6% | 6,620 |
| North Carolina | $35K | -6% | 1,330 |
| North Dakota | $35K | -6% | 60 |
| Michigan | $35K | -7% | 3,470 |
| South Carolina | $34K | -8% | 960 |
| Idaho | $34K | -8% | 920 |
| Missouri | $34K | -9% | 1,610 |
| Kentucky | $34K | -9% | 1,050 |
| Ohio | $33K | -9% | 5,240 |
| Utah | $33K | -11% | 820 |
| Kansas | $32K | -15% | 1,380 |
| Texas | $31K | -15% | 1,600 |
| Arkansas | $31K | -16% | 390 |
| West Virginia | $31K | -17% | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | $31K | -17% | 3,930 |
| Oklahoma | $30K | -20% | 800 |
| Louisiana | $30K | -20% | 720 |
| Iowa | $29K | -20% | 1,700 |
| Indiana | $29K | -22% | 1,830 |
| Mississippi | $28K | -24% | 440 |
| Nebraska | $28K | -24% | 310 |
| Alabama | $28K | -25% | 900 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track library assistants, clerical salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a library assistants, clerical afford a 2BR apartment alone in Brownsville-Harlingen?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $25K, rent takes 57.3% 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 $500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for library assistants, clericals in Brownsville-Harlingen?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new library assistants, clericals typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,432/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 library assistants, clerical a high-paying job in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Local pay runs 33% below the national median — $25K here vs. $37K 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 library assistants, clericals?
Brownsville-Harlingen pays $25K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $29K — below the national median.
How much do library assistants, clericals make in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
The median is $24,790 a year, that works out to about $12 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,860, and experienced library assistants, clericals can clear $29,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $25K enough to live in Brownsville-Harlingen?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,826/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,047/month, which eats 57.3% 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 library assistants, clerical 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 library assistants, clerical salary is worth about $28,836 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do library assistants, clericals 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.