BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

03/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/17/2026 13:35

County Employment and Wages in Montana — Third Quarter 2025

News Release Information

26-540-KAN
Tuesday, March 17, 2026

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  • (816) 285-7000

County Employment and Wages in Montana - Third Quarter 2025

Employment fell 0.1 percent in Montana's only large county, Yellowstone, from September 2024 to September 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Jerome Watters noted that the rate of employment change in Yellowstone ranked 183rd among the 364 largest U.S. counties with published data. (See table 1.)

Employment in Yellowstone stood at 87,900 in September 2025, accounting for 17.0 percent of total employment in Montana. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.2 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)

Large county average weekly wages in the third quarter 2025

The average weekly wage in Yellowstone increased 3.6 percent over the year to $1,195. The national average was $1,459, up 4.7 percent over the year. Yellowstone's weekly wage ranked 262nd nationally, and the percent change ranked 224th among the largest U.S. counties.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the third quarter of 2025

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 55 small counties in Montana, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels for all 55 smaller counties were below the national average. Gallatin reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,309) in the state. Wibaux reported the lowest average weekly wage ($694) in the state.

Among all 56 Montana counties, 19 reported average weekly wages of $949 or lower, 16 registered wages from $950 to $1,049, 11 had wages from $1,050 to $1,149, and 10 had average weekly wages of $1,150 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Montana, third quarter 2025

(U.S. average = $1,459)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The County Employment and Wages release for the fourth quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the largest county in Montana, third quarter 2025
Area Establishments,
third quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage (1)
September 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
September
2024-25 (2) 		National ranking
by percent change (3) 		Third quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level (3) 		Percent change,
third quarter
2024-25 (2) 		National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,353.8 155,767.7 0.1 -- 1,459 -- 4.7 --

Montana

64.6 518.3 -0.4 -- 1,182 43 5.1 8

Yellowstone

7.9 87.9 -0.1 183 1,195 262 3.6 224

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Montana, third quarter 2025
Area Establishments Employment September 2025 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,353,804 155,767,691 1,459

Montana

64,597 518,257 1,182

Beaverhead

577 4,108 985

Big Horn

279 3,721 1,087

Blaine

192 1,313 818

Broadwater

294 1,603 926

Carbon

669 3,173 1,094

Carter

53 338 903

Cascade

3,249 35,833 1,091

Chouteau

227 1,233 844

Custer

562 5,227 995

Daniels

99 542 923

Dawson

412 3,344 973

Deer Lodge

349 3,385 1,059

Fallon

185 1,165 995

Fergus

575 4,824 989

Flathead

7,322 52,256 1,131

Gallatin

10,167 75,162 1,309

Garfield

68 327 700

Glacier

327 4,496 1,000

Golden Valley

46 200 934

Granite

183 980 974

Hill

610 6,869 969

Jefferson

532 2,829 1,057

Judith Basin

112 525 851

Lake

1,327 9,840 1,007

Lewis and Clark

3,819 39,721 1,234

Liberty

95 524 810

Lincoln

988 6,388 977

McCone

78 578 953

Madison

638 3,143 1,098

Meagher

137 724 1,004

Mineral

211 1,356 798

Missoula

7,034 66,364 1,233

Musselshell

200 1,288 1,177

Park

1,332 8,054 1,023

Petroleum

26 104 707

Phillips

189 1,251 877

Pondera

227 1,507 852

Powder River

102 618 1,096

Powell

265 2,590 1,085

Prairie

61 450 876

Ravalli

2,507 13,901 1,072

Richland

653 5,016 1,179

Roosevelt

284 3,436 965

Rosebud

273 3,548 1,214

Sanders

594 3,423 971

Sheridan

222 1,321 939

Silver Bow

1,506 16,504 1,088

Stillwater

405 2,957 1,294

Sweet Grass

275 1,488 1,165

Teton

331 1,869 840

Toole

235 1,775 1,157

Treasure

31 212 804

Valley

351 2,827 975

Wheatland

100 565 837

Wibaux

47 261 694

Yellowstone

7,929 87,884 1,195

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, third quarter 2025
State Establishments,
third quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage (1)
September 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
September
2024-25 		Third quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level 		Percent change,
third quarter
2024-25 		National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,353.8 155,767.7 0.1 1,459 -- 4.7 --

Alabama

165.7 2,119.0 0.6 1,212 36 3.6 38

Alaska

25.3 342.4 -0.1 1,455 13 5.3 7

Arizona

228.4 3,215.4 -0.2 1,360 19 4.0 31

Arkansas

111.2 1,310.5 0.5 1,135 49 3.8 33

California

1,986.7 18,281.7 0.3 1,815 4 7.2 2

Colorado

252.9 2,886.4 -0.6 1,570 7 5.7 3

Connecticut

149.6 1,693.8 0.1 1,604 6 3.8 33

Delaware

46.7 480.8 0.0 1,394 17 4.8 13

District of Columbia

51.5 737.4 -3.1 2,393 1 5.7 3

Florida

892.1 9,818.1 -0.2 1,342 21 5.1 8

Georgia

397.2 4,874.5 0.4 1,349 20 3.5 43

Hawaii

62.1 640.1 0.1 1,342 21 3.1 48

Idaho

103.7 879.8 1.3 1,180 44 4.9 11

Illinois

386.5 6,086.3 -0.1 1,457 12 4.3 23

Indiana

197.1 3,198.4 0.1 1,214 35 4.3 23

Iowa

109.6 1,549.3 -0.9 1,194 39 3.6 38

Kansas

102.2 1,431.7 0.1 1,179 45 3.8 33

Kentucky

160.7 1,995.4 -0.4 1,176 46 4.3 23

Louisiana

158.7 1,913.1 -0.1 1,187 42 3.3 46

Maine

67.4 659.2 -0.2 1,231 33 5.0 10

Maryland

199.5 2,739.5 -1.3 1,526 9 3.8 33

Massachusetts

293.2 3,625.0 -0.9 1,818 3 4.8 13

Michigan

316.0 4,423.8 -0.4 1,323 25 4.5 18

Minnesota

214.3 2,958.6 0.2 1,438 15 3.6 38

Mississippi

91.3 1,172.6 0.0 1,005 51 4.7 15

Missouri

256.0 2,903.7 -0.4 1,249 31 4.4 21

Montana

64.6 518.3 -0.4 1,182 43 5.1 8

Nebraska

78.6 1,021.8 -0.1 1,190 40 3.1 48

Nevada

109.5 1,581.0 1.4 1,314 27 4.3 23

New Hampshire

67.3 687.8 -0.6 1,481 11 5.5 6

New Jersey

334.9 4,301.0 0.4 1,558 8 3.6 38

New Mexico

69.0 876.4 0.3 1,190 40 3.2 47

New York

720.8 9,808.4 0.4 1,757 5 4.7 15

North Carolina

386.3 4,939.4 0.5 1,328 23 4.2 27

North Dakota

36.7 433.8 -0.5 1,291 29 2.8 50

Ohio

346.6 5,537.8 0.1 1,279 30 3.4 44

Oklahoma

128.8 1,697.9 -0.3 1,143 48 4.5 18

Oregon

180.5 1,994.7 -1.3 1,409 16 4.2 27

Pennsylvania

397.2 6,066.3 0.2 1,383 18 4.1 30

Rhode Island

48.8 503.3 0.2 1,322 26 4.7 15

South Carolina

190.8 2,312.3 0.7 1,198 38 4.9 11

South Dakota

40.9 462.9 0.1 1,146 47 4.0 31

Tennessee

224.2 3,255.5 -1.2 1,327 24 5.7 3

Texas

854.9 14,062.3 0.7 1,444 14 3.6 38

Utah

142.4 1,745.9 1.2 1,297 28 3.8 33

Vermont

34.1 307.2 -0.7 1,243 32 4.4 21

Virginia

324.0 4,142.4 0.7 1,504 10 4.2 27

Washington

242.3 3,639.4 -0.1 1,923 2 7.7 1

West Virginia

62.1 701.1 -0.1 1,121 50 3.4 44

Wisconsin

211.6 2,949.1 -0.4 1,228 34 4.5 18

Wyoming

31.7 285.6 -1.1 1,201 37 2.0 51

Puerto Rico

52.8 945.5 -0.6 687 (3) 2.7 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.0 33.2 -5.4 1,025 (3) 4.7 (3)

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published this content on March 17, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 17, 2026 at 19:36 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]