In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Montana earned $29.55 an hour against $28.02 in the private sector, a gap of +5%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $49.59 against $61.52 privately (-19%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
Sample sizes by occupation in Montana are small; read the domain rows as indicative.
Public vs private pay in Montana by occupation, 2023
| Occupation domain | Government median $/hr | Private median $/hr | Gap at median | Government 90th pct | Private 90th pct | Gap at 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All occupations | $29.55 | $28.02 | +5% | $49.59 | $61.52 | -19% |
| Admin and clerical * | $22.74 | $20.89 | +9% | $31.37 | $34.38 | -9% |
| Education * | $26.95 | $21.88 | +23% | $42.98 | $35.60 | +21% |
| Engineering * | $32.23 | $52.61 | -39% | $45.67 | $84.62 | -46% |
| Finance * | $26.44 | $32.23 | -18% | $41.38 | $53.50 | -23% |
| Healthcare * | $42.12 | $38.71 | +9% | $107.45 | $74.58 | +44% |
| Legal * | $43.15 | $34.06 | +27% | $61.39 | $45.86 | +34% |
| Management * | $37.26 | $34.81 | +7% | $54.02 | $75.21 | -28% |
| Protective service * | $32.34 | $22.64 | +43% | $53.72 | $32.96 | +63% |
| Skilled trades * | $31.16 | $29.51 | +6% | $50.40 | $51.66 | -2% |
| Software and IT * | $31.05 | $40.29 | -23% | $46.04 | $80.88 | -43% |
How to read this
Raw medians compare different people: government employs more teachers, nurses, and degree-holders than the private sector does. The parent piece adjusts for education and experience nationally (federal pay 7% above comparable private workers, state pay 17% below, local pay 17% below) and shows the gap opening at the top of the ladder, where private pay in software, law, finance, and engineering has pulled away. This state table is the unadjusted view; the methodology appendix explains both.