Average Salary in Montana
What workers in Montana earn: mean and median wages, monthly and hourly pay, the full wage distribution, household income and cost-of-living context. Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Mean annual wage$60,880Rank #38 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$48,740Rank #30 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$29.27Median $23.43/hour
- Median monthly pay$4,062Mean $5,073/month
- Median household income$75,340ACS 2024 · rank #36
- Price level (RPP)94.6US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in Montana?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in Montana is $60,880, and the median annual wage is $48,740, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 12.7% below the national mean of $69,770; the median is 4.4% below the national median of $50,980. Montana ranks #38 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #30 for median wage.
The mean is $12,140 (25%) higher than the median. That gap is normal: a minority of very high earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical worker in Montana earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 511,580 wage and salary jobs in Montana (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in Montana
Gross pay before taxes. Monthly = annual ÷ 12, bi-weekly = annual ÷ 26, weekly = annual ÷ 52. Hourly figures are published by BLS.
| Pay period | Mean (average) | Median (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | $60,880 | $48,740 |
| Monthly | $5,073 | $4,062 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $2,342 | $1,875 |
| Weekly | $1,171 | $937 |
| Hourly | $29.27 | $23.43 |
Estimate take-home pay on the Montana median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in Montana?
“Good” depends on your household and where in the state you live, but the wage distribution shows where a salary stands relative to other workers in Montana:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $29,390 | $2,449 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $37,210 | $3,101 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $48,740 | $4,062 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $72,640 | $6,053 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $100,610 | $8,384 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $48,740 beats more than half of Montana workers, about $72,640 puts you in the top quarter, and $100,610 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in Montana
| Measure (ACS 2024) | Montana | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,340 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $97,801 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $43,254 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $41,741 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $61,245 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $50,656 | $55,678 |
Household income adds up the income of everyone in a household — often two earners, plus Social Security, investment and self-employment income — so it is higher than any per-worker wage figure. Women working full-time year-round in Montana have median earnings equal to 83% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in Montana
Prices in Montana are about 5.4% below the national average (BEA regional price parity 94.6; housing 84.6). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $48,740 is worth $51,522 at national-average prices (rank #33), and the mean wage is worth $64,355 (rank #42). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
Montana taxes wage income, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures above by federal tax, FICA and state income tax.
Montana vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | $60,880 | $48,740 | 94.6 | $51,522 |
| Idaho | $61,170 | $47,970 | 95.5 | $50,230 |
| North Dakota | $64,050 | $52,480 | 89.0 | $58,966 |
| South Dakota | $57,610 | $47,080 | 88.6 | $53,138 |
| Wyoming | $61,560 | $50,270 | 92.7 | $54,229 |
Highest-paying occupations in Montana
Detailed occupations with at least 300 jobs in the state, ranked by mean annual wage. “$239,200+” means BLS reports only that the wage is at or above that level.
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $385,010 | $438,850 | 580 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $337,850 | $330,760 | 460 |
| Chief Executives | $223,550 | $182,340 | 670 |
| Dentists, General | $168,460 | $167,200 | 380 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $153,170 | $146,030 | 560 |
| Financial Managers | $150,850 | $131,060 | 1,510 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $146,100 | $132,860 | 1,180 |
| Administrative Services Managers | $144,410 | $129,670 | 400 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $141,130 | $119,430 | 370 |
| Physician Assistants | $140,800 | $141,470 | 600 |
Most common jobs in Montana and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
The largest occupation in Montana is fast food and counter workers, with 14,960 jobs and a median wage of $29,090. Many of the most common jobs pay well below the state median, which is one reason the overall median sits far below the mean.
Salaries for 54 common occupations in Montana
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Montana?
The average (mean) annual wage in Montana is $60,880, or $29.27 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $48,740 a year ($23.43 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in Montana?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in Montana works out to about $5,073 per month and the median wage to about $4,062 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in Montana?
Earning more than the median of $48,740 puts you above half of all workers in Montana. A salary of $72,640 or more is in the top 25%, and $100,610 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in Montana?
Median household income in Montana was $75,340 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, compared with $81,604 nationally. Household income combines all earners and income sources in a home.
Does Montana have a state income tax on wages?
Yes. Montana taxes wage income, so state income tax is deducted from paychecks in addition to federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.