Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Salary
The median pay for a automotive and watercraft service attendants in Missoula, MT is $41,600/year ($20/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.44), that's roughly $43,136 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,361/month, about 48% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $42K get you in Missoula?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Missoula’s Regional Price Parity (96.44). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About automotive and watercraft service attendants
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Missoula
Missoula sits well above the national pay line for automotive and watercraft service attendants, local pay runs about 17% higher than the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,361/month, which is 47.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.44) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for automotive and watercraft service attendants in metros near Missoula, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Billings | $38K | $40K |
| Bozeman | $41K | $40K |
| Helena | $37K | $39K |
| Great Falls | $35K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Missoula, MT
Entry-level automotive and watercraft service attendants (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $44K | +22% | 270 |
| California | $42K | +17% | 10,190 |
| District of Columbia | $42K | +17% | N/A |
| Rhode Island | $42K | +17% | 120 |
| Connecticut | $42K | +17% | 420 |
| Alaska | $42K | +17% | 280 |
| New Hampshire | $40K | +12% | 200 |
| Washington | $39K | +11% | 2,620 |
| Montana | $39K | +8% | 460 |
| Vermont | $39K | +8% | 170 |
| Colorado | $38K | +8% | 2,980 |
| Missouri | $38K | +7% | 1,150 |
| Maryland | $38K | +5% | 1,060 |
| Nevada | $38K | +5% | 250 |
| Minnesota | $37K | +5% | 1,230 |
| New York | $37K | +4% | 3,770 |
| Utah | $37K | +4% | 890 |
| North Dakota | $37K | +3% | 500 |
| Wyoming | $37K | +3% | 280 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | +2% | 2,770 |
| Delaware | $37K | +2% | 370 |
| South Dakota | $36K | +1% | 650 |
| Illinois | $36K | +1% | 1,940 |
| South Carolina | $36K | +1% | 220 |
| Arizona | $36K | +0% | 1,710 |
| Indiana | $36K | +0% | 3,090 |
| Massachusetts | $36K | +0% | 1,850 |
| Idaho | $36K | -0% | 480 |
| Kansas | $35K | -1% | 1,500 |
| New Jersey | $35K | -1% | 11,050 |
| Ohio | $35K | -2% | 2,930 |
| Nebraska | $35K | -2% | 910 |
| Florida | $35K | -2% | 5,150 |
| Arkansas | $35K | -3% | 870 |
| Oregon | $34K | -4% | 6,270 |
| North Carolina | $34K | -6% | 2,790 |
| Texas | $34K | -6% | 6,880 |
| Maine | $32K | -9% | 680 |
| Tennessee | $32K | -10% | 2,840 |
| Oklahoma | $32K | -11% | 1,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $32K | -12% | 1,580 |
| Kentucky | $31K | -12% | 1,220 |
| Michigan | $31K | -12% | 3,390 |
| Georgia | $31K | -13% | 4,210 |
| New Mexico | $31K | -13% | N/A |
| Mississippi | $31K | -14% | 350 |
| Iowa | $31K | -14% | 340 |
| Virginia | $30K | -15% | 4,060 |
| Alabama | $29K | -18% | 2,150 |
| Louisiana | $29K | -18% | 1,150 |
| West Virginia | $28K | -21% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track automotive and watercraft service attendants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Missoula numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a automotive and watercraft service attendant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Missoula?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 47.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,361/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for automotive and watercraft service attendants in Missoula?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new automotive and watercraft service attendants typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,811/month. At HUD’s $1,361/month FMR, rent would take 75% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is automotive and watercraft service attendant a high-paying job in Missoula?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $42K here vs. $36K nationally.
How does Missoula compare to the national average for automotive and watercraft service attendants?
Missoula pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do automotive and watercraft service attendants make in Missoula, MT?
The median is $41,600 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,180, and experienced automotive and watercraft service attendants can clear $49,070. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Missoula?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,843/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,361/month, which eats 47.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a automotive and watercraft service attendants salary go in Missoula?
Missoula has a Regional Price Parity of 96.44 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median automotive and watercraft service attendants salary is worth about $43,136 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do automotive and watercraft service attendants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.