Salaries in Billings, MT

You might assume a city of 120,000 in Montana would be a backwater for high earners, but Billings quietly pays its marketing managers more than many coastal hubs do, once you factor in the cost of living. It's a counterintuitive truth: the city's top talent isn't just making a decent buck; they're building serious wealth on a Montana salary.

Billings’s cost of living sits at 89.6, meaning your dollar stretches about 10% further than the national average. That $152,702 marketing manager salary, adjusted for local prices, has the purchasing power of over $170,000 nationally. For a typical household earning the median of $67,028, that translates to a comfortable life, especially when a one-bedroom apartment averages just $874 a month. It’s not just cheap; it’s a genuine financial advantage if you can land a solid role.

The economy here runs on healthcare, energy, and agriculture. Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare are massive employers, which explains the pharmacist salary hovering near $132,000. The tech sector is smaller but growing, pulling in software developers with six-figure paychecks. You’ll also find steady demand in construction and project management, fueled by the city’s steady expansion and its role as a regional hub for the Mountain West.

Here’s the honest catch: wages, while strong for specific roles, haven’t always kept pace with the recent inflationary bumps we’ve seen everywhere. Billings works exceptionally well for professionals in those top five fields, or for anyone in a remote role with a coastal salary. For others, it’s a trade-off: lower pay, but a lifestyle that’s financially sustainable in a way that’s becoming rare in America.

The data below breaks down exactly who earns what, from the average salary across all roles to the specific paychecks for Billings’s most in-demand jobs.