File Clerks Salary
File Clerks in Montana make a median of $38,370 a year, or about $18.45 an hour. The range runs from $25K at the entry level to $50K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97), that's roughly $39,557 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,129/month, about 43.1% 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 $38K get you in Montana?
About file clerks
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What this looks like in Montana
Pay for file clerks in Montana runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $44K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,129/month, which is 42.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97) 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 file clerkss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Montana
Entry-level file clerks (10th percentile) start around $25K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $50K or more, a $25K spread from bottom to top.
File Clerks salary by metro in Montana
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helena | $40K | +4% | 60 |
| Billings | $38K | -2% | 70 |
| Missoula | $36K | -5% | 40 |
| Great Falls | $35K | -8% | 40 |
Compare to other states
Track file clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Montana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a file clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Montana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 42.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,129/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for file clerks in Montana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new file clerks typically earn — is $25K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,509/month. At HUD’s $1,129/month FMR, rent would take 75% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is file clerk a high-paying job in Montana?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $38K here vs. $44K nationally.
How does Montana compare to the national average for file clerks?
Montana pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do file clerks make in Montana?
The median is $38,370 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,150, and experienced file clerks can clear $49,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Montana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,643/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,129/month, which eats 42.7% 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 file clerks 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 file clerks salary is worth about $39,557 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do file clerks 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.