Automotive Body and Related Repairers Salary
The median pay for a automotive body and related repairers in Helena, MT is $35,980/year ($17.3/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.67), that's roughly $37,608 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,404/month, about 57.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Helena?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Helena’s Regional Price Parity (95.67). 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 body and related repairers
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What this looks like in Helena
Pay for automotive body and related repairers in Helena runs about 34% below the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,404/month, which is 56.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.67) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for automotive body and related repairerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for automotive body and related repairers in metros near Helena, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Billings | $59K | $63K |
| Bozeman | $61K | $59K |
| Missoula | $49K | $51K |
| Great Falls | $52K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Helena, MT
Entry-level automotive body and related repairers (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $36K spread from bottom to top.
Automotive Body and Related Repairers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Automotive Body and Related Repairers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $72K | +32% | 800 |
| California | $67K | +22% | 14,050 |
| District of Columbia | $63K | +14% | 30 |
| New Jersey | $62K | +14% | 3,720 |
| Alaska | $62K | +12% | 270 |
| Minnesota | $61K | +11% | 2,910 |
| Missouri | $61K | +10% | 4,350 |
| Hawaii | $61K | +10% | 450 |
| Nevada | $61K | +10% | 1,020 |
| Oregon | $60K | +9% | 1,660 |
| Colorado | $60K | +9% | 3,120 |
| Massachusetts | $59K | +8% | 3,060 |
| Washington | $58K | +6% | 2,330 |
| Connecticut | $58K | +6% | 1,850 |
| Virginia | $58K | +5% | 3,720 |
| Montana | $58K | +5% | 500 |
| Michigan | $57K | +4% | 5,010 |
| Wisconsin | $57K | +3% | 2,690 |
| Maryland | $56K | +2% | 2,930 |
| North Dakota | $55K | +0% | 680 |
| Arizona | $55K | -1% | 2,750 |
| Nebraska | $54K | -1% | 1,120 |
| Pennsylvania | $54K | -2% | 6,650 |
| South Carolina | $53K | -3% | 2,140 |
| New Hampshire | $53K | -4% | 750 |
| Alabama | $52K | -5% | 1,810 |
| Illinois | $52K | -5% | 5,750 |
| Texas | $52K | -6% | 14,070 |
| Georgia | $51K | -7% | 4,680 |
| Indiana | $51K | -7% | 3,780 |
| Vermont | $51K | -7% | 320 |
| North Carolina | $51K | -8% | 5,180 |
| Maine | $50K | -8% | 680 |
| Utah | $50K | -9% | 1,590 |
| Mississippi | $50K | -10% | 1,380 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -10% | 800 |
| Iowa | $49K | -10% | 1,830 |
| Arkansas | $49K | -10% | 1,140 |
| Wyoming | $49K | -10% | 200 |
| Idaho | $49K | -10% | 850 |
| Ohio | $49K | -11% | 5,950 |
| Kansas | $49K | -11% | 1,530 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -11% | 2,330 |
| Delaware | $49K | -11% | 340 |
| Florida | $49K | -11% | 9,220 |
| New Mexico | $48K | -12% | 810 |
| New York | $48K | -13% | 8,530 |
| Tennessee | $47K | -14% | 3,970 |
| Louisiana | $47K | -14% | 1,660 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -14% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $46K | -16% | 1,680 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track automotive body and related repairers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a automotive body and related repairer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Helena?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 56.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,404/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for automotive body and related repairers in Helena?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new automotive body and related repairers typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,425/month. At HUD’s $1,404/month FMR, rent would take 99% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is automotive body and related repairer a high-paying job in Helena?
Local pay runs 34% below the national median — $36K here vs. $55K nationally.
How does Helena compare to the national average for automotive body and related repairers?
Helena pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -34%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do automotive body and related repairers make in Helena, MT?
The median is $35,980 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,750, and experienced automotive body and related repairers can clear $59,520. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Helena?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,494/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,404/month, which eats 56.3% 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 body and related repairers salary go in Helena?
Helena has a Regional Price Parity of 95.67 (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 body and related repairers salary is worth about $37,608 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do automotive body and related repairers 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.