Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands in Montana make a median of $43,840 a year, or about $21.08 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $53K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97), that's roughly $45,196 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,129/month, about 37.8% 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 $44K get you in Montana?
About laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Montana
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand pay in Montana tracks closely to the national median, $44K locally vs. $40K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,129/month, which is 37.9% 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 laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $53K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand salary by metro in Montana
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman | $47K | +7% | 400 |
| Billings | $44K | +1% | 1,240 |
| Missoula | $43K | -2% | 460 |
| Helena | $41K | -7% | 270 |
| Great Falls | $40K | -9% | 310 |
Compare to other states
Track laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Montana numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand afford a 2BR apartment alone in Montana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 37.9% 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 $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands in Montana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,944/month. At HUD’s $1,129/month FMR, rent would take 58% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand a high-paying job in Montana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $44K locally vs. $40K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Montana compare to the national average for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands?
Montana pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands make in Montana?
The median is $43,840 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,400, and experienced laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands can clear $53,160. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Montana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,982/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,129/month, which eats 37.9% 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 laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand 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 laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary is worth about $45,196 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands 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.