Surgical Assistants Salary
The median pay for a surgical assistants in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX is $77,980/year ($37.49/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $96K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.89), which stretches that salary to about $90,791 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,060/month, or 19.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $78K get you in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by McAllen-Edinburg-Mission’s Regional Price Parity (85.89). 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 surgical assistants
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What this looks like in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission sits well above the national pay line for surgical assistants, local pay runs about 17% higher than the U.S. median of $67K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,060/month, 20.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission offers a genuinely strong financial position for surgical assistantss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for surgical assistants in metros near McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Amarillo | $80K | $87K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $63K | $64K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $87K | $84K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $79K | $84K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
Entry-level surgical assistants (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $96K or more, a $60K spread from bottom to top.
Surgical Assistants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Surgical Assistants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $123K | +85% | 90 |
| Arizona | $111K | +66% | N/A |
| Colorado | $107K | +61% | N/A |
| Nevada | $101K | +51% | 230 |
| New Jersey | $91K | +36% | N/A |
| South Carolina | $86K | +28% | 480 |
| Kentucky | $85K | +27% | 480 |
| Tennessee | $82K | +22% | 750 |
| Oregon | $80K | +20% | 220 |
| Illinois | $80K | +20% | 2,300 |
| Virginia | $79K | +18% | 1,000 |
| Wisconsin | $78K | +17% | 810 |
| New Hampshire | $78K | +16% | 130 |
| Ohio | $77K | +16% | 970 |
| Minnesota | $76K | +14% | 360 |
| Connecticut | $68K | +1% | 320 |
| Montana | $67K | +1% | 100 |
| Iowa | $66K | -1% | 30 |
| Washington | $65K | -2% | 100 |
| Texas | $65K | -3% | 2,840 |
| Florida | $63K | -6% | 1,260 |
| California | $63K | -6% | 1,210 |
| New Mexico | $62K | -7% | 130 |
| Rhode Island | $62K | -7% | N/A |
| Alaska | $61K | -8% | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | -9% | 240 |
| New York | $60K | -10% | 470 |
| North Carolina | $60K | -10% | 670 |
| Maryland | $58K | -13% | 670 |
| Kansas | $58K | -13% | 180 |
| Indiana | $57K | -15% | 690 |
| Idaho | $56K | -15% | N/A |
| Michigan | $56K | -16% | 560 |
| Massachusetts | $56K | -16% | N/A |
| Hawaii | $54K | -19% | 70 |
| Nebraska | $53K | -20% | 80 |
| West Virginia | $51K | -24% | 280 |
| Mississippi | $51K | -24% | 120 |
| Arkansas | $50K | -26% | 80 |
| Georgia | $50K | -26% | 840 |
| Missouri | $49K | -26% | 510 |
| Utah | $45K | -33% | 290 |
| Alabama | $42K | -38% | 470 |
| Oklahoma | $40K | -40% | 220 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track surgical assistants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when McAllen-Edinburg-Mission numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a surgical assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
Yes — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 20.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,060/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for surgical assistants in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new surgical assistants typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,170/month. At HUD’s $1,060/month FMR, rent would take 49% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is surgical assistant a high-paying job in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $78K here vs. $67K nationally.
How does McAllen-Edinburg-Mission compare to the national average for surgical assistants?
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $67K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $91K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do surgical assistants make in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?
The median is $77,980 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,170, and experienced surgical assistants can clear $96,110. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,270/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,060/month, which eats 20.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a surgical assistants salary go in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission has a Regional Price Parity of 85.89 (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 surgical assistants salary is worth about $90,791 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do surgical assistants 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.