BLS metro-level wage data places Occupational Therapy Assistants pay in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX at a median of $73,720 per year ($35.44/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $72,300, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission pays +2% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 120 occupational therapy assistantss are employed across the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission MSA in SOC 31-2011.

The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission pay distribution spans from $49,140 at the 10th percentile to $88,950 at the 90th — a 1.8× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $64,690 and the 75th at $79,500, so half of McAllen-Edinburg-Mission-based occupational therapy assistantss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide TX data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.