Child, Family, and School Social Workers Salary
Child, Family, and School Social Workers in Montana make a median of $56,780 a year, or about $27.3 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $72K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97), that's roughly $58,536 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,129/month, about 30.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Montana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $57K get you in Montana?
About child, family, and school social workers
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What this looks like in Montana
Child, family, and school social workers pay in Montana tracks closely to the national median, $57K locally vs. $60K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,129/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Montana
Entry-level child, family, and school social workers (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $72K or more, a $33K spread from bottom to top.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers salary by metro in Montana
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helena | $60K | +6% | 130 |
| Great Falls | $59K | +4% | 120 |
| Bozeman | $59K | +3% | 90 |
| Billings | $50K | -11% | 320 |
| Missoula | $50K | -12% | 140 |
Compare to other states
Track child, family, and school social workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Montana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a child, family, and school social worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Montana?
Yes — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 29.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,129/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for child, family, and school social workers in Montana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new child, family, and school social workers typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,355/month. At HUD’s $1,129/month FMR, rent would take 48% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is child, family, and school social worker a high-paying job in Montana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $57K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Montana compare to the national average for child, family, and school social workers?
Montana pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do child, family, and school social workers make in Montana?
The median is $56,780 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,250, and experienced child, family, and school social workers can clear $72,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Montana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,785/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,129/month, which eats 29.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a child, family, and school social workers salary go in Montana?
Montana has a Regional Price Parity of 97 (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 child, family, and school social workers salary is worth about $58,536 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do child, family, and school social workers 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.