Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Montana | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $59,310 | $62,011 | -4% |
| Median hourly wage | $28.51 | $29.81 | -4% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $62,696.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Firefighter in Montana is $59,310, or about $28.51 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Firefighters is $62,011. Montana is -4% below the national median.
Entry-level firefighters in Montana typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 1,010 firefighter jobs on record and a median salary of $59,310, Montana offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 279 of the 604 occupations reported in Montana — higher than 54% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Detectives and Criminal Investigators at $92,410, First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at $89,380, First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers at $82,820 — all figures are median annual wages for Montana.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Montana levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 100.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 279 of the 604 occupations reported in Montana — higher than 54% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Montana | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $92,410 | $500 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $89,380 | $450 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $82,820 | $320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other | $80,200 | $90 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $74,630 | $240 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $70,050 | $2,160 |
Montana levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 100.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 604 occupations in Montana.