Chemical Technicians Salary
Chemical Technicians in Billings, MT make a median of $49,100 a year, or about $23.61 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.53), which stretches that salary to about $52,497 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,417/month, about 42.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Billings?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Billings’s Regional Price Parity (93.53). 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 chemical technicians
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What this looks like in Billings
Pay for chemical technicians in Billings runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $60K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,417/month, which is 42.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.53 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for chemical technicianss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chemical technicians in metros near Billings, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Boise City | $62K | $63K |
| Casper | $49K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Billings, MT
Entry-level chemical technicians (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $62K spread from bottom to top.
Chemical Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chemical Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $86K | +42% | 960 |
| Alaska | $79K | +31% | 100 |
| Delaware | $79K | +30% | 540 |
| South Carolina | $75K | +24% | 2,080 |
| Missouri | $69K | +14% | 720 |
| Massachusetts | $68K | +12% | 1,780 |
| Arizona | $66K | +9% | 390 |
| Vermont | $66K | +9% | 150 |
| Hawaii | $64K | +6% | 40 |
| Colorado | $64K | +6% | 1,180 |
| Nebraska | $63K | +4% | 280 |
| Texas | $63K | +4% | 6,090 |
| Minnesota | $62K | +3% | 870 |
| Washington | $62K | +3% | 730 |
| Illinois | $62K | +2% | 1,320 |
| Rhode Island | $62K | +2% | 190 |
| Kansas | $62K | +2% | 370 |
| Nevada | $62K | +2% | 1,050 |
| New York | $61K | +1% | 2,200 |
| Kentucky | $61K | +1% | 700 |
| Oklahoma | $60K | -1% | 610 |
| Ohio | $60K | -1% | 3,120 |
| California | $60K | -1% | 6,800 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | -2% | 1,090 |
| Pennsylvania | $59K | -2% | 2,710 |
| Indiana | $59K | -2% | 1,990 |
| North Carolina | $59K | -2% | 2,660 |
| West Virginia | $59K | -3% | 230 |
| New Jersey | $59K | -3% | 2,730 |
| Michigan | $58K | -4% | 2,220 |
| Alabama | $58K | -4% | 1,190 |
| Georgia | $58K | -4% | 850 |
| Iowa | $58K | -4% | 440 |
| Oregon | $58K | -4% | 340 |
| North Dakota | $58K | -4% | 150 |
| Connecticut | $57K | -5% | 510 |
| District of Columbia | $57K | -6% | 30 |
| Wyoming | $56K | -7% | 230 |
| New Mexico | $55K | -9% | 250 |
| Tennessee | $55K | -9% | 1,470 |
| Mississippi | $55K | -10% | 480 |
| Idaho | $55K | -10% | 170 |
| Florida | $54K | -10% | 1,840 |
| Montana | $53K | -12% | 240 |
| Virginia | $52K | -14% | 1,370 |
| Maryland | $49K | -18% | 590 |
| Maine | $49K | -18% | 100 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -19% | 90 |
| Utah | $49K | -19% | 580 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | -19% | 220 |
| Arkansas | $45K | -25% | 500 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track chemical technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Billings numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a chemical technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Billings?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 42.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,417/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical technicians in Billings?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical technicians typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,461/month. At HUD’s $1,417/month FMR, rent would take 58% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chemical technician a high-paying job in Billings?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $49K here vs. $60K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Billings compare to the national average for chemical technicians?
Billings pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.53), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do chemical technicians make in Billings, MT?
The median is $49,100 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,010, and experienced chemical technicians can clear $102,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Billings?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,308/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,417/month, which eats 42.8% 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 chemical technicians salary go in Billings?
Billings has a Regional Price Parity of 93.53 (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 chemical technicians salary is worth about $52,497 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chemical technicians 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.