Salaries · United States · Montana
Salaries in Montana 2026
The median pay for all jobs in Montana is $48,740 a year ($23.43 an hour), 4% below the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 30th highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in Montana earn a median of $55,708 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in Montana: the key figures
| Figure | Montana | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $48,740 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $60,880 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $29,390 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $100,610 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 511,580 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $55,708 ± $660 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $72,509 ± $761 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 94.6 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $10.85 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $48,740, a single person keeps about $39,809 a year ($3,317 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, Montana income tax. With prices 5% below the US average, $48,740 here buys what $51,500 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $48,740 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$3,669 |
| Social Security | -$3,022 |
| Medicare | -$707 |
| Montana income tax | -$1,534 |
| Take-home a year | $39,809 |
What drives pay in Montana
Montana's economy rests on land, minerals and visitors. Farms produced 2.5% of the state's GDP in 2025 (US 0.7%), mining outside oil and gas 2.0% (US 0.3%), oil refining 2.2% (US 0.5%) and rail transportation 1.4% (US 0.2%), according to BEA. Accommodation was 2.1% (US 0.8%), while manufacturing is only about half the US share. Hospitals pay 6.8% of all employee compensation, against 3.8% nationally.
These industries leave few very high salaries. The 90th percentile is $100,610, against $128,560 for the US, and fast food and counter workers are the most common job, 14,960 of them on a median of $29,090. One worker in ten earns less than $29,390 (US $31,200), with a state minimum wage of $10.85. The all-jobs median is $48,740, 4% below the US and 30th of the 50 states and DC, with prices about 5% below the US average.
Payroll figures also miss much of Montana's work. The state's Department of Labor and Industry estimates that about 29.1% of the workforce runs their own business, the third-highest rate in the country, and self-employed people are not counted in the pay survey behind this page.
The gap is closing. Real GDP rose 21.6% from 2019 to 2025, against 15.6% nationally. The department reports a record average wage of $62,920 in 2025, up 2.1% after inflation, and the second-fastest real wage growth in the nation since 2022. Professional services became the best-paid industry in 2025, averaging $108,230, and per capita income, below the US average since the 1950s, was about $4,000 short in 2025, down from over $14,000 in 2000.
The highest-paid jobs in Montana
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacists | 1,190 | $142,080 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,260 | $137,210 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,180 | $132,860 |
| Financial Managers | 1,510 | $131,060 |
| Software Developers | 2,160 | $121,990 |
| Sales Managers | 1,200 | $117,390 |
| Managers, All Other | 1,600 | $110,470 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,870 | $105,840 |
| Construction Managers | 2,140 | $104,480 |
| Lawyers | 2,380 | $103,720 |
| Management Analysts | 1,590 | $97,470 |
| Civil Engineers | 1,870 | $93,070 |
| Physical Therapists | 1,180 | $91,450 |
| General and Operations Managers | 11,840 | $91,380 |
| Project Management Specialists | 2,940 | $87,890 |
The most common jobs in Montana
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 14,960 | $29,090 | $13.98 |
| Retail Salespersons | 13,490 | $36,270 | $17.44 |
| Cashiers | 12,170 | $34,190 | $16.44 |
| General and Operations Managers | 11,840 | $91,380 | $43.93 |
| Registered Nurses | 10,950 | $85,280 | $41.00 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 10,400 | $36,630 | $17.61 |
| Office Clerks, General | 10,390 | $46,480 | $22.35 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 8,900 | $39,050 | $18.77 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 8,320 | $37,110 | $17.84 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 7,830 | $58,870 | $28.30 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 7,580 | $38,060 | $18.30 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 7,200 | $23,370 | $11.23 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 6,980 | $47,270 | $22.73 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 5,830 | $49,300 | $23.70 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 5,420 | $46,870 | $22.54 |
Pay for careers we cover, in Montana
Official BLS medians for Montana; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | $277,380 | |
| Dentist | 380 | $167,200 |
| Pharmacist | 1,190 | $142,080 |
| Physician Assistant | 600 | $141,470 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 1,260 | $137,210 |
| Software Engineer | 2,160 | $121,990 |
| Lawyer | 2,380 | $103,720 |
| Commercial Pilot | 330 | $103,690 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 60 | $101,380 |
| Data Scientist | 220 | $100,490 |
| Financial Analyst | 440 | $99,190 |
| Dental Hygienist | 860 | $98,440 |
| Elevator Technician | 40 | $90,370 |
| Project Manager | 2,940 | $87,890 |
| Registered Nurse | 10,950 | $85,280 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 380 | $81,950 |
| Plumber | 1,860 | $79,960 |
| UX Designer | 100 | $77,030 |
| Electrician | 2,750 | $76,760 |
| Accountant | 4,730 | $75,810 |
| Compliance Officer | 1,480 | $66,660 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 310 | $64,170 |
| HVAC Technician | 1,230 | $60,850 |
| Paralegal | 1,010 | $57,290 |
| Welder | 1,530 | $55,610 |
Montana and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | $48,740 | 94.6 | $51,500 |
| Idaho | $47,970 | 95.5 | $50,200 |
| North Dakota | $52,480 | 89.0 | $59,000 |
| South Dakota | $47,080 | 88.6 | $53,100 |
| Wyoming | $50,270 | 92.7 | $54,200 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in Montana, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- Montana Department of Labor and Industry, Research and Analysis Bureau: 2026 Montana Labor Day Report, 2026 (PDF dated 5 Oct 2026)
Related
- Salary comparison by city: what a salary is worth in another US city
- Salaries in the United States