Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary
In Montana, hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops earn $28,910 at the median, or about $13.9 an hour. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $36K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97), that's roughly $29,804 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,129/month, about 55.2% 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 $29K get you in Montana?
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What this looks like in Montana
Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop pay in Montana tracks closely to the national median, $29K locally vs. $31K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,129/month, which is 55.1% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Montana
Entry-level hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $36K or more, a $13K spread from bottom to top.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salary by metro in Montana
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman | $34K | +19% | 310 |
| Great Falls | $30K | +2% | 70 |
| Missoula | $28K | -2% | 170 |
| Billings | $28K | -2% | 260 |
Compare to other states
Track hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Montana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop afford a 2BR apartment alone in Montana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 55.1% 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 $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops in Montana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,362/month. At HUD’s $1,129/month FMR, rent would take 83% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop a high-paying job in Montana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $29K locally vs. $31K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Montana compare to the national average for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops?
Montana pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $30K — below the national median.
How much do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops make in Montana?
The median is $28,910 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,700, and experienced hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops can clear $35,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Montana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,050/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,129/month, which eats 55.1% 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 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop 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 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary is worth about $29,804 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops 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.