Electrical Engineers Salary
In Missoula, MT, electrical engineers earn $88,770 at the median, or about $42.68 an hour. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $130K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.44), that's roughly $92,047 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,690/month, about 30.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $89K actually covers in Missoula, month by month
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 electrical engineers
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What this looks like in Missoula
Pay for electrical engineers in Missoula runs about 26% below the U.S. median of $121K. Rent runs $1,690/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 96.44) 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 electrical engineers in metros near Missoula, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Billings | $103K | $110K |
| Bozeman | $100K | $98K |
| Boise City | $130K | $132K |
| Sioux Falls | $99K | $109K |
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 electrical engineers (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $89K. Top earners bring in $130K or more, a $66K spread from bottom to top.
Electrical Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Electrical Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $159K | +31% | 2,560 |
| California | $144K | +19% | 24,230 |
| District of Columbia | $143K | +19% | 330 |
| New Hampshire | $136K | +13% | 1,600 |
| Washington | $133K | +10% | 7,610 |
| Texas | $129K | +7% | 20,870 |
| Idaho | $129K | +7% | 1,000 |
| Massachusetts | $128K | +6% | 5,040 |
| Delaware | $127K | +5% | 660 |
| Alaska | $126K | +4% | 350 |
| Alabama | $126K | +4% | 4,600 |
| New Jersey | $125K | +4% | 2,940 |
| Oregon | $125K | +4% | 2,540 |
| Maryland | $125K | +4% | 4,650 |
| Louisiana | $124K | +3% | 990 |
| Colorado | $121K | +0% | 4,200 |
| Virginia | $119K | -1% | 7,260 |
| New York | $119K | -1% | 8,770 |
| Missouri | $119K | -2% | 2,410 |
| Maine | $115K | -5% | 1,150 |
| West Virginia | $113K | -6% | 500 |
| Wyoming | $112K | -7% | 280 |
| Vermont | $111K | -8% | 820 |
| Pennsylvania | $111K | -8% | 6,970 |
| North Dakota | $111K | -8% | 260 |
| North Carolina | $110K | -9% | 7,090 |
| Minnesota | $110K | -9% | 3,150 |
| Illinois | $108K | -11% | 5,460 |
| Oklahoma | $108K | -11% | 2,080 |
| Nevada | $107K | -11% | 1,100 |
| Nebraska | $107K | -11% | 1,060 |
| Hawaii | $106K | -12% | 1,080 |
| Michigan | $106K | -12% | 10,840 |
| Iowa | $106K | -12% | 1,280 |
| Utah | $106K | -12% | 1,680 |
| Mississippi | $105K | -13% | 1,130 |
| Florida | $105K | -13% | 9,220 |
| Tennessee | $104K | -13% | 2,830 |
| Connecticut | $104K | -14% | 2,930 |
| Indiana | $103K | -15% | 4,000 |
| Kansas | $103K | -15% | 2,100 |
| Ohio | $101K | -17% | 6,360 |
| Arizona | $101K | -17% | 5,370 |
| Wisconsin | $100K | -17% | 3,550 |
| South Dakota | $99K | -18% | 530 |
| Kentucky | $99K | -18% | 1,540 |
| South Carolina | $98K | -18% | 3,490 |
| Arkansas | $97K | -20% | 900 |
| Montana | $87K | -28% | 790 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track electrical engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Missoula numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a electrical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Missoula?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $89K, rent takes 30.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,690/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for electrical engineers in Missoula?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new electrical engineers typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,259/month. At HUD’s $1,690/month FMR, rent would take 40% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is electrical engineer a high-paying job in Missoula?
Local pay runs 26% below the national median — $89K here vs. $121K nationally.
How does Missoula compare to the national average for electrical engineers?
Missoula pays $89K median vs. the U.S. average of $121K — that’s -26%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $92K — below the national median.
How much do electrical engineers make in Missoula, MT?
The median is $88,770 a year, that works out to about $43 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,570, and experienced electrical engineers can clear $130,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $89K enough to live in Missoula?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,559/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,690/month, which eats 30.4% 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 electrical engineers 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 electrical engineers salary is worth about $92,047 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do electrical engineers 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.