Montana
Across all occupations in Montana, the median wage is $48,740 a year ($23.43 an hour) and the mean $60,880, May 2025. That median is −4% against the US median of $50,980. BLS counts 511,580 jobs in the state. The highest-paying occupation is orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric; the largest is fast food and counter workers.
All occupations: Montana vs the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Montana | Hourly | $14.13 | $17.89 | $23.43 | $34.92 | $48.37 | $29.27 | 511,580 |
| Annual | $29,390 | $37,210 | $48,740 | $72,640 | $100,610 | $60,880 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
Minimum wage in Montana
The wage floor is a separate question from these survey figures. See the Montana minimum wage page for the current rate, scheduled increases and tipped rules, verified against the U.S. Department of Labor.
20 highest-paying occupations in Montana
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $560,820 | $269.62 | ** |
| 2 | Physicians, All Other | $438,850 | $210.99 | 580 |
| 3 | Radiologists | $360,330 | $173.23 | 110 |
| 4 | Family Medicine Physicians | $330,760 | $159.02 | 460 |
| 5 | Orthodontists | $312,840 | $150.40 | ** |
| 6 | Nurse Anesthetists | $277,380 | $133.36 | ** |
| 7 | Pediatricians, General | $273,260 | $131.38 | 50 |
| 8 | Chief Executives | $182,340 | $87.66 | 670 |
| 9 | Dentists, General | $167,200 | $80.39 | 380 |
| 10 | Marketing Managers | $165,580 | $79.61 | ** |
| 11 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $146,030 | $70.21 | 560 |
| 12 | Pharmacists | $142,080 | $68.31 | 1,190 |
| 13 | Physician Assistants | $141,470 | $68.02 | 600 |
| 14 | Nurse Practitioners | $137,210 | $65.97 | 1,260 |
| 15 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $132,860 | $63.87 | 1,180 |
| 16 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $131,770 | $63.35 | ** |
| 17 | Financial Managers | $131,060 | $63.01 | 1,510 |
| 18 | Administrative Services Managers | $129,670 | $62.34 | 400 |
| 19 | Chemical Engineers | $127,490 | $61.29 | 80 |
| 20 | Psychologists, All Other | $126,960 | $61.04 | 40 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Montana
Occupation groups in Montana
Metropolitan areas in Montana
5 metropolitan areas touch Montana, plus 3 nonmetropolitan areas, with the all-occupations median of each. A linked metropolitan area has its own profile; nonmetropolitan areas appear here only.
| Area | Type | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billings, MT | Metropolitan | $49,060 | $23.59 | 93,800 |
| Bozeman, MT | Metropolitan | $54,830 | $26.36 | 72,210 |
| Great Falls, MT | Metropolitan | $46,510 | $22.36 | 36,510 |
| Helena, MT | Metropolitan | $55,040 | $26.46 | 44,420 |
| Missoula, MT | Metropolitan | $47,830 | $23.00 | 67,070 |
| Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $46,780 | $22.49 | 39,080 |
| West Montana nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $47,150 | $22.67 | 84,190 |
| East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $47,070 | $22.63 | 60,160 |
Occupation pages for Montana
60 occupations have a dedicated Montana page with the state's percentiles, its metro table and a comparison with neighbouring states.
- Accountants and Auditors $75,810
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics $58,740
- Bartenders $26,010
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks $47,270
- Business Operations Specialists, All Other $74,990
- Carpenters $58,820
- Cashiers $34,190
- Computer and Information Systems Managers $132,860
- Computer User Support Specialists $58,460
- Construction Laborers $49,830
- Cooks, Restaurant $38,060
- Customer Service Representatives $45,290
- Electricians $76,760
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $57,530
- Fast Food and Counter Workers $29,090
- Financial Managers $131,060
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $76,910
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $44,010
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $62,550
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $68,760
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers $49,300
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $60,670
- Food Preparation Workers $33,860
- General and Operations Managers $91,380
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $58,870
- Home Health and Personal Care Aides $36,630
- Human Resources Specialists $63,790
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $37,110
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand $43,840
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers $45,350
- Lawyers $103,720
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $62,210
- Light Truck Drivers $46,420
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $35,740
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $46,870
- Management Analysts $97,470
- Managers, All Other $110,470
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $68,080
- Medical Assistants $46,820
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants $43,740
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $61,550
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators $44,940
- Nursing Assistants $40,900
- Office Clerks, General $46,480
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $70,050
- Project Management Specialists $87,890
- Receptionists and Information Clerks $37,360
- Registered Nurses $85,280
- Retail Salespersons $36,270
- Sales Managers $117,390
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $58,720
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $61,670
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $60,990
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive $43,940
- Security Guards $38,480
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks $43,590
- Software Developers $121,990
- Stockers and Order Fillers $39,050
- Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary $34,750
- Waiters and Waitresses $23,370
Take-home pay and benefits calculators for Montana
FastCalc, a sister site, has these calculators for Montana. Each takes your own figures; this site computes nothing.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Montana estimates.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in Montana.