Average Salary in Montana (MT)

Montana's $66,017 median household income is below the national average, but the state has seen sharp income growth over the past five years as remote workers have relocated to Bozeman, Missoula, and the Bitterroot Valley. The cost-of-living index of 99 is roughly at the national average, though Bozeman specifically has become dramatically more expensive — median home prices there have more than doubled since 2017, outpacing wage growth. The economy is a mix of agriculture (wheat, cattle — Montana has more cattle than people by a wide margin), tourism (Glacier and Yellowstone parks anchor the north and south), energy (oil in the Williston Basin, coal in the southeast, wind across the east), and a federal-employment footprint (Malmstrom AFB, federal land management). State income tax brackets range from 1% to 6.75% across seven brackets, one of the more progressive structures in the West. The $10.55/hour minimum wage is indexed to inflation. Property taxes have been rising quickly because of accelerating housing values, and a 2023 reassessment triggered statewide political pushback. Montana has no sales tax. Full breakdown follows.