StateRates

Helena salaries

The median worker in the Helena, MT metro area earned $49,300 a year in 2024, about $23.70 an hour. That ranks #100 of the 391 metro areas published here, 0.4% below the national median.

Montana

Median pay $49,300 $23.70 per hour
Vs national -0.4% U.S. $49,500
Workers 43,730 wage and salary
Metro rank #100 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Helena pays 4.1% 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
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 4.33× 1,380 $65,960
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 1.63× 670 $45,350
Cooks, Restaurant 1.5× 620 $36,120
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1.49× 930 $37,110
Office Clerks, General 1.37× 980 $43,760
Accountants and Auditors 1.36× 560 $72,550
Fast Food and Counter Workers 1.07× 1,150 $29,050
Retail Salespersons 1.03× 1,110 $34,550
Cashiers 0.97× 870 $30,040
Stockers and Order Fillers 0.95× 750 $38,710
Registered Nurses 0.94× 870 $87,630
General and Operations Managers 0.92× 930 $94,520

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Helena
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Lawyers $103,060 $49.55 420
Managers, All Other $99,540 $47.86 260
Software Developers $97,470 $46.86 350
General and Operations Managers $94,520 $45.44 930
Management Analysts $92,750 $44.59 200
Registered Nurses $87,630 $42.13 870
Project Management Specialists $86,580 $41.63 300
Civil Engineers $83,740 $40.26 420
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $79,870 $38.40 200
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators $75,310 $36.21 270
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $73,790 $35.48 370
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $73,080 n/a 270
Accountants and Auditors $72,550 $34.88 560
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $65,960 $31.71 1,380
Human Resources Specialists $65,500 $31.49 290
Compliance Officers $63,020 $30.30 330
Electricians $62,880 $30.23 240
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $62,680 $30.13 300
Public Relations Specialists $61,640 $29.64 200
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators $59,860 $28.78 200
Computer User Support Specialists $57,860 $27.82 220
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $57,640 $27.71 320
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $57,610 n/a 240
Carpenters $57,540 $27.66 290
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $57,040 n/a 290
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics $56,320 $27.08 200
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers $48,120 $23.13 390
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive $46,690 $22.45 480
Construction Laborers $46,190 $22.21 360
Light Truck Drivers $45,880 $22.06 230
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $45,530 $21.89 380
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks $45,350 $21.80 670
Customer Service Representatives $43,790 $21.06 540
Office Clerks, General $43,760 $21.04 980
Nursing Assistants $40,640 $19.54 340
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $40,310 $19.38 350
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand $40,260 $19.36 330
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers $39,580 $19.03 260
Stockers and Order Fillers $38,710 $18.61 750
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants $38,010 $18.28 320
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $37,110 $17.84 930
Cooks, Restaurant $36,120 $17.37 620
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary $35,500 n/a 280
Retail Salespersons $34,550 $16.61 1,110
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $32,740 $15.74 300
Home Health and Personal Care Aides $31,450 $15.12 780
Cashiers $30,040 $14.44 870
Fast Food and Counter Workers $29,050 $13.97 1,150
Bartenders $22,610 $10.87 400
Waiters and Waitresses $21,870 $10.52 550

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Helena by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 1,380 $65,960 $31.71
Fast Food and Counter Workers 1,150 $29,050 $13.97
Retail Salespersons 1,110 $34,550 $16.61
Office Clerks, General 980 $43,760 $21.04
General and Operations Managers 930 $94,520 $45.44
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 930 $37,110 $17.84
Registered Nurses 870 $87,630 $42.13
Cashiers 870 $30,040 $14.44
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 780 $31,450 $15.12
Stockers and Order Fillers 750 $38,710 $18.61
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 670 $45,350 $21.80
Cooks, Restaurant 620 $36,120 $17.37
Accountants and Auditors 560 $72,550 $34.88
Waiters and Waitresses 550 $21,870 $10.52
Customer Service Representatives 540 $43,790 $21.06
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 480 $46,690 $22.45
Civil Engineers 420 $83,740 $40.26
Lawyers 420 $103,060 $49.55
Bartenders 400 $22,610 $10.87
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 390 $48,120 $23.13

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

Helena pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Helena?

The median across all occupations is $49,300, or $23.70 an hour, covering 43,730 wage and salary workers. The mean is $60,880, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Helena pay more than the rest of Montana?

Yes. The metro median of $49,300 is 4.1% 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 Helena?

Lawyers ($103,060), Managers, All Other ($99,540), Software Developers ($97,470). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Helena unusually full of?

Business Operations Specialists, All Other, at 4.33× 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.