Library Assistants, Clerical Salary
Library Assistants, Clericals in Texas make a median of $31,200 a year, or about $15 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $40K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $34,102 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 63% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $31K get you in Texas?
About library assistants, clericals
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What this looks like in Texas
Pay for library assistants, clerical in Texas runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 62.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level library assistants, clericals (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $40K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Library Assistants, Clerical salary by metro in Texas
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $39K | +26% | 70 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $37K | +17% | 220 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $35K | +11% | 350 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $31K | -2% | 80 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $30K | -3% | 70 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $29K | -6% | 180 |
| El Paso | $28K | -9% | 60 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $25K | -21% | 60 |
| Lubbock | $21K | -34% | 120 |
Compare to other states
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Frequently asked questions
Can a library assistants, clerical afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 62.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/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 library assistants, clericals in Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new library assistants, clericals typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,314/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 108% 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 Texas?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $31K here vs. $37K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Texas compare to the national average for library assistants, clericals?
Texas pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do library assistants, clericals make in Texas?
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 $21,900, and experienced library assistants, clericals can clear $39,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,259/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 62.6% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $34,102 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.