Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers Salary
The median pay for a painting, coating, and decorating workers in Montana is $34,790/year ($16.72/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97), that's roughly $35,866 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,129/month, about 47.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Montana. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $35K get you in Montana?
About painting, coating, and decorating workers
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What this looks like in Montana
Pay for painting, coating, and decorating workers in Montana runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,129/month, which is 46.7% 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 painting, coating, and decorating workerss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Montana
Entry-level painting, coating, and decorating workers (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track painting, coating, and decorating workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Montana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a painting, coating, and decorating worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Montana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 46.7% 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 $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for painting, coating, and decorating workers in Montana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new painting, coating, and decorating workers typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,822/month. At HUD’s $1,129/month FMR, rent would take 62% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is painting, coating, and decorating worker a high-paying job in Montana?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $35K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does Montana compare to the national average for painting, coating, and decorating workers?
Montana pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do painting, coating, and decorating workers make in Montana?
The median is $34,790 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,360, and experienced painting, coating, and decorating workers can clear $65,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Montana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,420/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,129/month, which eats 46.7% 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 painting, coating, and decorating workers 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 painting, coating, and decorating workers salary is worth about $35,866 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do painting, coating, and decorating workers 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.