Occupational profile · 2025
Montana
Montana employs 511,580 people. The work it does most unusually is gambling and sports book writers and runners, at 35.6× the national concentration — 1,050 jobs paying a median of $22,030.
What Montana is distinctive for
Detailed occupations ranked by location quotient. A location quotient is an occupation’s share of a state’s jobs divided by its share of the nation’s. One means the state looks like the country; two means twice the concentration. It is a measure of distinctiveness, not of quality, size or pay. Bars use a logarithmic scale so the lower ranks stay legible beside the leader.
- 1Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners1,050 jobs · median $22,03035.6×
- 2Forest and Conservation Technicians1,760 jobs · median $52,42017.6×
- 3Information and Record Clerks, All Other1,380 jobs · median $47,8403.1×
- 4Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks2,660 jobs · median $35,3303.1×
- 5Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators3,750 jobs · median $61,5802.4×
- 6Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines1,330 jobs · median $72,5602.3×
- 7Court, Municipal, and License Clerks1,340 jobs · median $45,6802.3×
- 8Highway Maintenance Workers1,140 jobs · median $60,9602.2×
- 9Bartenders5,370 jobs · median $26,0102.2×
- 10Parts Salespersons1,860 jobs · median $45,0602.1×
- 11Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners5,380 jobs · median $35,7401.9×
- 12Public Relations Specialists1,760 jobs · median $63,7801.9×
What Montana is made of
All twenty-two occupational groups by headcount, with the concentration figure beside each. Most states look broadly alike in this view — that is the finding, not a flaw in it.
| Occupation group | Share of state employment | Jobs | vs national | Median wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office and Administrative Support Occupations | 59,680 | 1.02× | $45,870 | |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations | 53,110 | 1.18× | $30,580 | |
| Sales and Related Occupations | 45,970 | 1.04× | $38,380 | |
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 39,220 | 0.87× | $45,780 | |
| Management Occupations | 32,220 | 0.88× | $101,400 | |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations | 32,120 | 0.99× | $82,160 | |
| Construction and Extraction Occupations | 31,890 | 1.51× | $60,960 | |
| Business and Financial Operations Occupations | 29,880 | 0.86× | $74,110 | |
| Educational Instruction and Library Occupations | 28,710 | 0.96× | $48,490 | |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations | 23,800 | 1.19× | $59,070 | |
| Healthcare Support Occupations | 21,520 | 0.83× | $39,260 | |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | 20,620 | 1.38× | $38,220 | |
| Production Occupations | 17,650 | 0.63× | $48,210 | |
| Personal Care and Service Occupations | 14,150 | 1.32× | $34,460 | |
| Community and Social Service Occupations | 10,670 | 1.22× | $50,220 | |
| Protective Service Occupations | 9,500 | 0.76× | $57,570 | |
| Computer and Mathematical Occupations | 9,460 | 0.55× | $80,240 | |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations | 8,860 | 1.83× | $70,810 | |
| Architecture and Engineering Occupations | 8,190 | 0.95× | $81,330 | |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations | 7,960 | 1.18× | $51,260 | |
| Legal Occupations | 4,180 | 0.97× | $83,620 | |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations | 2,210 | 1.55× | $43,740 |
Elsewhere on Montana
Blank cells are estimates BLS did not release, usually because too few employers reported. They are shown as gaps rather than filled. Detailed occupations are included only where at least 1,000 people are employed, below which a quotient is survey noise. A wage marked “$239,200 or more” is censored at source: BLS does not publish medians above that figure, so the number is a floor rather than the wage. A work of the U.S. government: no copyright subsists (17 U.S.C. §105). BLS OEWS ↗