Editors Salary
In Helena, MT, editors earn $66,770 at the median, or about $32.1 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $124K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.67), that's roughly $69,792 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,404/month, about 32% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $67K 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 editors
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What this looks like in Helena
Pay for editors in Helena runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $78K. Rent runs $1,404/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.67) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for editors in metros near Helena, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Missoula | $68K | $71K |
| Bozeman | $62K | $61K |
| Boise City | $55K | $55K |
| Fargo | $61K | $67K |
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 editors (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $67K. Top earners bring in $124K or more, a $94K spread from bottom to top.
Editors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Editors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $101K | +30% | 16,800 |
| California | $98K | +26% | 14,830 |
| Connecticut | $86K | +10% | 1,050 |
| District of Columbia | $84K | +8% | 3,310 |
| Massachusetts | $83K | +7% | 3,100 |
| New Jersey | $82K | +5% | 2,120 |
| Virginia | $81K | +3% | 2,720 |
| Rhode Island | $78K | +0% | 340 |
| Colorado | $78K | -0% | 1,830 |
| Washington | $78K | -0% | 1,860 |
| Georgia | $77K | -2% | 1,920 |
| Illinois | $76K | -2% | 4,560 |
| Maryland | $76K | -3% | 1,850 |
| Delaware | $75K | -4% | 170 |
| Florida | $74K | -5% | 3,790 |
| North Carolina | $74K | -5% | 1,870 |
| Nevada | $73K | -7% | N/A |
| Ohio | $72K | -7% | 1,800 |
| Oregon | $72K | -8% | 1,110 |
| Vermont | $67K | -14% | 240 |
| New Hampshire | $67K | -15% | 250 |
| Utah | $65K | -17% | 590 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | -18% | 1,510 |
| New Mexico | $64K | -18% | 230 |
| Alaska | $64K | -18% | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $63K | -19% | 3,240 |
| Alabama | $63K | -19% | 530 |
| Michigan | $63K | -19% | 1,690 |
| Arizona | $63K | -19% | 820 |
| Minnesota | $63K | -20% | 1,970 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -20% | 500 |
| Kansas | $62K | -21% | 500 |
| Montana | $62K | -21% | 200 |
| Missouri | $62K | -21% | 880 |
| North Dakota | $61K | -22% | 200 |
| Tennessee | $60K | -24% | 1,390 |
| Kentucky | $59K | -24% | 490 |
| Louisiana | $59K | -24% | 330 |
| Iowa | $57K | -27% | 900 |
| South Dakota | $57K | -27% | 140 |
| West Virginia | $57K | -27% | 260 |
| Indiana | $56K | -28% | 830 |
| Hawaii | $55K | -29% | 100 |
| Mississippi | $54K | -30% | 290 |
| Oklahoma | $51K | -35% | 500 |
| Maine | $50K | -36% | 300 |
| Arkansas | $50K | -36% | 260 |
| Wyoming | $47K | -40% | 110 |
| Nebraska | $46K | -41% | 360 |
| Texas | $46K | -41% | 6,460 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track editors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Helena numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a editor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Helena?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $67K, rent takes 32.1% 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 $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for editors in Helena?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new editors typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,778/month. At HUD’s $1,404/month FMR, rent would take 79% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is editor a high-paying job in Helena?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $67K here vs. $78K nationally.
How does Helena compare to the national average for editors?
Helena pays $67K median vs. the U.S. average of $78K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $70K — below the national median.
How much do editors make in Helena, MT?
The median is $66,770 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,640, and experienced editors can clear $123,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $67K enough to live in Helena?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,377/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,404/month, which eats 32.1% 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 editors 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 editors salary is worth about $69,792 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do editors 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.