Highest-paying trades in Montana
Updated September 27, 2026
Electrical power-line installers and repairers are the highest-paying skilled trade in Montana, with a median of $110,320 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. 51 of the 68 trades ranked here pay more than the $48,740 median for all jobs in Montana.
All 68 trades by median pay in Montana
| # | Trade | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical power-line installers and repairers680 jobs · +16% vs U.S. | $110,320$53.04/hr |
| 2 | Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay130 jobs · −5% vs U.S. | $97,380$46.82/hr |
| 3 | Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment50 jobs · +14% vs U.S. | $96,560$46.42/hr |
| 4 | Elevator and escalator installers and repairers40 jobs · −18% vs U.S. | $90,370$43.45/hr |
| 5 | Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters1,860 jobs · +25% vs U.S. | $79,960$38.44/hr |
| 6 | Rail-Track laying and maintenance equipment operators200 jobs · +13% vs U.S. | $79,170$38.06/hr |
| 7 | Electricians2,750 jobs · +21% vs U.S. | $76,760$36.90/hr |
| 8 | Telecommunications line installers and repairers530 jobs · +2% vs U.S. | $75,720$36.41/hr |
| 9 | Construction and building inspectors290 jobs · +1% vs U.S. | $75,700$36.39/hr |
| 10 | Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment120 jobs · +2% vs U.S. | $75,660$36.38/hr |
| 11 | Medical equipment repairers80 jobs · +20% vs U.S. | $74,070$35.61/hr |
| 12 | Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers630 jobs · +16% vs U.S. | $73,970$35.56/hr |
| 13 | Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines1,330 jobs · +11% vs U.S. | $72,560$34.88/hr |
| 14 | Structural iron and steel workers130 jobs · +7% vs U.S. | $67,390$32.40/hr |
| 15 | Industrial machinery mechanics820 jobs · +4% vs U.S. | $67,250$32.33/hr |
| 16 | Aircraft mechanics and service technicians310 jobs · −20% vs U.S. | $64,170$30.85/hr |
| 17 | Wind turbine service technicians40 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $62,360$29.98/hr |
| 18 | Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians400 jobs · +9% vs U.S. | $61,710$29.67/hr |
| 19 | Cement masons and concrete finishers780 jobs · +8% vs U.S. | $61,620$29.63/hr |
| 20 | Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators3,750 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $61,580$29.61/hr |
| 21 | Sheet metal workers410 jobs · −1% vs U.S. | $61,420$29.53/hr |
| 22 | Stonemasons160 jobs · +6% vs U.S. | $61,040$29.35/hr |
| 23 | Highway maintenance workers1,140 jobs · +21% vs U.S. | $60,960$29.31/hr |
| 24 | Audiovisual equipment installers and repairers60 jobs · +16% vs U.S. | $60,900$29.28/hr |
| 25 | Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers1,230 jobs · 0% vs U.S. | $60,850$29.26/hr |
| 26 | Drywall and ceiling tile installers170 jobs · +2% vs U.S. | $60,140$28.92/hr |
| 27 | Millwrights70 jobs · −9% vs U.S. | $60,050$28.87/hr |
| 28 | Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists1,230 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $59,990$28.84/hr |
| 29 | Roofers370 jobs · +6% vs U.S. | $59,030$28.38/hr |
| 30 | Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door50 jobs · −21% vs U.S. | $58,940$28.34/hr |
| 31 | Carpenters4,030 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $58,820$28.28/hr |
| 32 | Security and fire alarm systems installers190 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $58,800$28.27/hr |
| 33 | Automotive service technicians and mechanics2,900 jobs · +16% vs U.S. | $58,740$28.24/hr |
| 34 | Tile and stone setters240 jobs · +5% vs U.S. | $58,670$28.21/hr |
| 35 | Painters, construction and maintenance920 jobs · +18% vs U.S. | $58,290$28.03/hr |
| 36 | Automotive body and related repairers500 jobs · +5% vs U.S. | $57,500$27.65/hr |
| 37 | Avionics technicians−30% vs U.S. | $57,420$27.61/hr |
| 38 | Recreational vehicle service technicians140 jobs · +10% vs U.S. | $57,310$27.56/hr |
| 39 | Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners290 jobs · +14% vs U.S. | $56,860$27.34/hr |
| 40 | Locksmiths and safe repairers110 jobs · +10% vs U.S. | $56,200$27.02/hr |
| 41 | Brickmasons and blockmasons140 jobs · −10% vs U.S. | $56,030$26.94/hr |
| 42 | Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators260 jobs · +5% vs U.S. | $55,920$26.89/hr |
| 43 | Fence erectors680 jobs · +16% vs U.S. | $55,720$26.79/hr |
| 44 | Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers1,530 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $55,610$26.73/hr |
| 45 | Hazardous materials removal workers250 jobs · +10% vs U.S. | $54,540$26.22/hr |
| 46 | Motorboat mechanics and service technicians60 jobs · −9% vs U.S. | $52,160$25.08/hr |
| 47 | Mechanical door repairers150 jobs · −8% vs U.S. | $51,370$24.70/hr |
| 48 | Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles40 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $49,920$24.00/hr |
| 49 | Construction laborers4,590 jobs · +6% vs U.S. | $49,830$23.96/hr |
| 50 | Glaziers410 jobs · −14% vs U.S. | $49,360$23.73/hr |
| 51 | Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers160 jobs · +2% vs U.S. | $48,820$23.47/hr |
| 52 | Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other1,010 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $48,360$23.25/hr |
| 53 | Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall490 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $48,100$23.13/hr |
| 54 | Pipelayers80 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $48,080$23.12/hr |
| 55 | Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics190 jobs · 0% vs U.S. | $47,880$23.02/hr |
| 56 | Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers150 jobs · 0% vs U.S. | $47,670$22.92/hr |
| 57 | Miscellaneous construction and related workers310 jobs · −5% vs U.S. | $47,280$22.73/hr |
| 58 | Home appliance repairers130 jobs · −8% vs U.S. | $47,130$22.66/hr |
| 59 | Motorcycle mechanics140 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $47,130$22.66/hr |
| 60 | Automotive glass installers and repairers150 jobs · −1% vs U.S. | $47,090$22.64/hr |
| 61 | Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers100 jobs · −26% vs U.S. | $47,000$22.60/hr |
| 62 | Maintenance and repair workers, general5,420 jobs · −5% vs U.S. | $46,870$22.54/hr |
| 63 | Plasterers and stucco masons50 jobs · −19% vs U.S. | $46,540$22.38/hr |
| 64 | Tire repairers and changers740 jobs · +23% vs U.S. | $46,360$22.29/hr |
| 65 | Carpet installers150 jobs · −13% vs U.S. | $43,840$21.08/hr |
| 66 | Manufactured building and mobile home installers50 jobs · −6% vs U.S. | $43,310$20.82/hr |
| 67 | Bicycle repairers70 jobs · −11% vs U.S. | $37,990$18.26/hr |
| 68 | Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles50 jobs · −33% vs U.S. | $37,710$18.13/hr |
Linked trades have full Montana pay pages, with pay in each metro area. See also: highest-paying trades in the U.S.
How we ranked them
Ranked by median annual wage in Montana, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state estimates, May 2025. “vs U.S.” compares each trade with its own national median. Which occupations count as trades: Construction occupations and installation, maintenance, and repair occupations (BLS major groups 47 and 49), plus welders, excluding first-line supervisors, helpers, and mining and oil-and-gas extraction occupations. BLS doesn't publish a Montana median for 20 of the 88 trades in the national ranking, usually because too few people do that work there to estimate; they're left out. Wages exclude self-employed workers. Methodology
Questions
- What is the highest-paying trade in Montana?
- Electrical power-line installers and repairers, with a median of $110,320 a year ($53.04 an hour) in Montana, per May 2025 BLS data.
- Which trades pay over $100,000 in Montana?
- One trade has a median of $100,000 or more in Montana: electrical power-line installers and repairers ($110,320).
- How many trades pay more than the typical job in Montana?
- 51 of the 68 trades ranked here have a median above $48,740, the median for all occupations in Montana.
- Do trades pay more in Montana than in the rest of the U.S.?
- 36 of the 68 trades have a higher median in Montana than nationally. The biggest gap is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters: $79,960, 25% above the U.S. median of $63,800.
- Which trade employs the most people in Montana?
- Maintenance and repair workers, general, with about 5,420 jobs and a median of $46,870 a year.