BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

06/11/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/11/2026 13:14

County Employment and Wages in Montana — Fourth Quarter 2025

News Release Information

26-841-KAN
Thursday, June 11, 2026

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County Employment and Wages in Montana - Fourth Quarter 2025

Employment fell 0.8 percent in Montana's only large county, Yellowstone, from December 2024 to December 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 282nd among the 366 largest U.S. counties with published data. (See table 1.)

Employment in Yellowstone stood at 87,100 in December 2025, accounting for 17.0 percent of total employment in Montana. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 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 fourth quarter 2025

The average weekly wage in Yellowstone increased 3.3 percent over the year to $1,355. The national average was $1,569, up 4.2 percent over the year. Yellowstone's weekly wage ranked 197th nationally, and the percent change ranked 263rd among the largest U.S. counties.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the fourth 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 54 of the 55 smaller counties were below the national average. Treasure reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,594) in the state. Petroleum reported the lowest average weekly wage ($711).

Among all 56 Montana counties, 11 reported average weekly wages less than $950, 14 had wages from $950 to $1,049, 12 had wages from $1,050 to $1,149, 9 had wages from $1,150 to $1,249, and 10 had average weekly wages of $1,250 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

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

(U.S. average = $1,569)

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 first quarter 2026 is scheduled to be released on Friday, August 28, 2026.

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

United States (4)

12,428.4 156,700.2 0.2 -- 1,569 -- 4.2 --

Montana

62.3 512.3 -0.1 -- 1,296 38 3.3 42

Yellowstone

7.7 87.1 -0.8 282 1,355 197 3.3 263

(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, fourth quarter 2025
Area Establishments Employment December 2025 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,428,415 156,700,218 1,569

Montana

62,339 512,262 1,296

Beaverhead

566 4,079 1,041

Big Horn

272 3,571 1,075

Blaine

189 1,311 952

Broadwater

290 1,550 980

Carbon

640 3,147 1,010

Carter

51 354 945

Cascade

3,164 36,253 1,217

Chouteau

222 1,192 1,020

Custer

549 5,301 1,053

Daniels

97 539 1,096

Dawson

394 3,340 1,034

Deer Lodge

343 3,343 1,109

Fallon

180 1,154 1,221

Fergus

562 4,707 1,049

Flathead

7,119 50,974 1,245

Gallatin

9,971 75,476 1,488

Garfield

65 336 776

Glacier

315 4,027 1,088

Golden Valley

44 233 1,059

Granite

180 893 958

Hill

590 6,951 1,094

Jefferson

521 2,795 1,198

Judith Basin

110 563 906

Lake

1,310 9,578 1,112

Lewis and Clark

3,700 39,854 1,355

Liberty

96 540 830

Lincoln

966 6,055 962

McCone

81 578 1,075

Madison

619 2,842 1,246

Meagher

136 722 888

Mineral

193 1,132 913

Missoula

6,845 65,573 1,286

Musselshell

189 1,267 1,174

Park

1,308 7,217 1,148

Petroleum

26 118 711

Phillips

183 1,232 943

Pondera

221 1,508 960

Powder River

103 620 1,275

Powell

255 2,438 1,216

Prairie

60 472 955

Ravalli

2,424 13,699 1,127

Richland

627 4,964 1,268

Roosevelt

272 3,429 1,000

Rosebud

260 3,477 1,274

Sanders

572 3,259 998

Sheridan

216 1,267 1,039

Silver Bow

1,464 16,677 1,188

Stillwater

399 2,939 1,378

Sweet Grass

267 1,518 1,363

Teton

331 1,812 935

Toole

221 1,781 1,243

Treasure

30 209 1,594

Valley

343 2,821 1,052

Wheatland

98 560 942

Wibaux

43 258 803

Yellowstone

7,677 87,076 1,355

(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, fourth quarter 2025
State Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
December
2024-25 		Fourth quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level 		Percent change,
fourth quarter
2024-25 		National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,428.4 156,700.2 0.2 1,569 -- 4.2 --

Alabama

167.4 2,135.3 0.5 1,301 36 3.7 37

Alaska

25.3 317.3 -0.3 1,497 16 4.7 14

Arizona

227.4 3,278.3 0.0 1,446 20 3.0 47

Arkansas

113.0 1,318.2 0.4 1,213 49 5.0 8

California

2,013.7 18,351.7 0.6 1,954 4 4.6 16

Colorado

258.5 2,896.4 -0.6 1,683 8 5.6 3

Connecticut

149.8 1,706.5 0.1 1,801 6 5.0 8

Delaware

47.3 481.0 0.1 1,502 15 4.7 14

District of Columbia

51.0 726.1 -4.5 2,587 1 4.1 24

Florida

886.2 10,013.2 0.3 1,471 17 4.8 12

Georgia

398.7 4,925.4 0.1 1,440 21 3.5 40

Hawaii

63.0 650.0 -0.2 1,411 25 5.0 8

Idaho

104.3 875.7 1.8 1,303 35 5.8 2

Illinois

387.7 6,089.5 -0.1 1,588 11 3.3 42

Indiana

195.6 3,211.2 0.1 1,276 40 4.5 17

Iowa

110.6 1,560.0 -0.2 1,282 39 3.7 37

Kansas

101.8 1,443.2 -0.1 1,268 44 4.1 24

Kentucky

161.3 2,008.7 -0.1 1,235 46 3.8 34

Louisiana

159.2 1,927.3 -0.5 1,267 45 3.2 44

Maine

67.6 644.7 -0.1 1,332 33 4.2 21

Maryland

199.5 2,754.6 -1.1 1,616 10 3.0 47

Massachusetts

298.5 3,625.5 -0.9 1,980 2 4.9 11

Michigan

316.9 4,412.7 0.0 1,427 23 4.2 21

Minnesota

215.2 2,948.0 0.0 1,505 14 3.7 37

Mississippi

92.2 1,180.9 0.3 1,075 51 5.1 7

Missouri

259.9 2,920.8 -0.1 1,324 34 4.4 18

Montana

62.3 512.3 -0.1 1,296 38 3.3 42

Nebraska

78.5 1,024.0 -0.2 1,275 42 4.0 31

Nevada

111.0 1,592.1 1.7 1,395 27 3.2 44

New Hampshire

67.9 688.8 -0.6 1,652 9 4.8 12

New Jersey

343.1 4,343.1 0.2 1,691 7 3.9 33

New Mexico

69.7 875.3 -0.3 1,275 42 4.1 24

New York

719.1 9,907.5 0.4 1,975 3 5.4 4

North Carolina

392.1 4,991.1 0.9 1,409 26 3.8 34

North Dakota

37.0 430.4 -0.2 1,350 31 2.7 49

Ohio

348.5 5,554.4 0.0 1,358 30 4.1 24

Oklahoma

129.3 1,717.1 0.1 1,217 48 4.1 24

Oregon

177.9 1,975.8 -1.0 1,468 19 3.2 44

Pennsylvania

398.1 6,094.8 0.2 1,470 18 4.0 31

Rhode Island

49.1 500.3 -0.1 1,429 22 6.0 1

South Carolina

192.4 2,344.7 1.5 1,276 40 4.3 20

South Dakota

41.2 458.9 -0.2 1,230 47 4.1 24

Tennessee

225.2 3,281.6 -0.3 1,424 24 3.8 34

Texas

860.8 14,255.2 0.8 1,549 13 4.2 21

Utah

144.6 1,761.6 1.4 1,389 28 4.1 24

Vermont

34.5 309.3 -0.9 1,378 29 5.3 5

Virginia

324.0 4,166.9 0.5 1,585 12 2.6 50

Washington

242.1 3,590.3 -0.3 1,948 5 2.4 51

West Virginia

62.8 698.3 -0.6 1,203 50 3.5 40

Wisconsin

213.9 2,946.2 -0.1 1,346 32 5.3 5

Wyoming

31.7 278.4 -0.8 1,297 37 4.4 18

Puerto Rico

53.5 974.7 -0.2 735 (3) 2.8 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.0 34.7 0.3 1,068 (3) 2.7 (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 June 11, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 11, 2026 at 19:14 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]