StateRates

Billings salaries

The median worker in the Billings, MT metro area earned $47,640 a year in 2024, about $22.90 an hour. That ranks #155 of the 391 metro areas published here, 3.8% below the national median.

Montana

Median pay $47,640 $22.90 per hour
Vs national -3.8% U.S. $49,500
Workers 93,790 wage and salary
Metro rank #155 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Billings pays 0.6% more than Montana as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators 1.81× 520 $60,850
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1.75× 910 $33,640
Cooks, Restaurant 1.67× 1,470 $36,510
Bartenders 1.62× 730 $22,640
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants 1.62× 820 $39,550
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers 1.59× 780 $74,530
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 1.53× 1,930 $60,440
Carpenters 1.51× 640 $58,810
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers 1.51× 550 $80,120
Fast Food and Counter Workers 1.49× 3,420 $29,690
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 1.49× 1,320 $45,370
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 1.42× 960 $49,170

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Billings
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Financial Managers $138,490 $66.58 220
Pharmacists $137,230 $65.98 240
Managers, All Other $127,360 $61.23 310
Computer and Information Systems Managers $119,260 $57.34 200
Medical and Health Services Managers $106,640 $51.27 330
Computer Systems Analysts $105,800 $50.86 200
Construction Managers $105,160 $50.56 330
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $101,720 $48.90 450
Lawyers $100,750 $48.44 400
Physical Therapists $99,750 $47.96 200
Software Developers $97,050 $46.66 240
Management Analysts $95,300 $45.82 250
General and Operations Managers $92,000 $44.23 1,850
Civil Engineers $89,550 $43.05 360
Project Management Specialists $88,610 $42.60 480
Registered Nurses $85,580 $41.15 2,520
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $84,460 $40.61 420
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines $82,650 $39.74 420
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $80,590 $38.75 370
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $80,120 $38.52 550
Training and Development Specialists $79,990 $38.46 240
Accountants and Auditors $78,190 $37.59 760
Electricians $78,160 $37.58 460
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $75,440 $36.27 560
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $74,530 $35.83 780
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $70,160 $33.73 310
Compliance Officers $68,930 $33.14 200
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians $67,690 $32.55 220
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $65,680 $31.58 300
Cost Estimators $65,540 $31.51 230
Food Service Managers $64,050 $30.79 200
Human Resources Specialists $63,950 $30.75 440
Buyers and Purchasing Agents $63,030 $30.30 250
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists $62,490 $30.04 290
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $61,810 $29.72 1,080
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $61,500 n/a 660
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $61,430 $29.53 700
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $60,910 n/a 330
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators $60,850 $29.26 520
Loan Officers $60,620 $29.14 210
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $60,440 $29.06 1,930
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $60,080 $28.89 510
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers $60,010 $28.85 200
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $59,450 n/a 740
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics $59,040 $28.39 570
Carpenters $58,810 $28.27 640
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $57,500 $27.65 390
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $56,900 $27.36 210
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors $56,550 $27.19 390
Public Relations Specialists $56,230 $27.03 220
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $55,730 $26.80 360
Computer User Support Specialists $53,960 $25.94 340
Insurance Sales Agents $50,820 $24.43 390
Correctional Officers and Jailers $49,700 $23.89 210
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $49,690 $23.89 290
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers $49,170 $23.64 960
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers $49,100 $23.61 340
Medical Records Specialists $48,480 $23.31 220
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other $48,140 $23.15 250
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators $48,140 $23.14 340

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Billings by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers 3,420 $29,690 $14.28
Retail Salespersons 2,860 $34,670 $16.67
Registered Nurses 2,520 $85,580 $41.15
Cashiers 1,990 $30,630 $14.73
Office Clerks, General 1,960 $43,420 $20.88
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 1,930 $60,440 $29.06
General and Operations Managers 1,850 $92,000 $44.23
Stockers and Order Fillers 1,770 $38,360 $18.44
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1,600 $38,010 $18.27
Cooks, Restaurant 1,470 $36,510 $17.55
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 1,460 $40,200 $19.33
Waiters and Waitresses 1,450 $22,480 $10.81
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 1,340 $33,080 $15.91
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 1,320 $45,370 $21.81
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 1,080 $61,810 $29.72
Customer Service Representatives 1,070 $42,490 $20.43
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 960 $42,560 $20.46
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 960 $49,170 $23.64
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 920 $44,010 $21.16
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 910 $33,640 $16.17

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other Montana metro areas

Billings pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Billings?

The median across all occupations is $47,640, or $22.90 an hour, covering 93,790 wage and salary workers. The mean is $59,580, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Billings pay more than the rest of Montana?

Yes. The metro median of $47,640 is 0.6% above the Montana median of $47,360. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Billings?

Financial Managers ($138,490), Pharmacists ($137,230), Managers, All Other ($127,360). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Billings unusually full of?

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators, at 1.81× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.