Software Engineer · Montana · SOC 15-1252
Software Engineer Salary in Montana (2026)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-05.
TL;DR
- Montana pays Software Engineers a BLS median of $100,190 — the more useful number is $110,082, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
- Quartile range $77,990 (bottom 25%) to $163,730 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $62,890 to $216,250.
- Low BEA RPP (91.0) means the paycheck stretches further than the BLS number suggests; net lift roughly $9,892.
- Nominal: #47/51 · Real: #48/51 — ranking shifts by 1 positions after RPP.
Wage breakdown — Montana
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $62,890 | $69,099 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $77,990 | $85,690 |
| P50 (median) | $100,190 | $110,082 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $163,730 | $179,895 |
| P90 (top tier) | $216,250 | $237,601 |
| Mean | $120,950 | $132,892 |
| Employment | 2,070 Software Engineers in Montana | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Montana index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 91.0 |
| Goods | 96.5 |
| Services | 72.8 |
| Rents | 76.8 |
Montana sits below the national baseline (RPP 91.0), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 76.8.
After-tax take-home — Montana (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (Software Engineer) | $100,190 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$13,289 | 13.3% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$4,804 | 4.7–5.9% (2 brackets) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$7,665 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $74,433 | 74.3% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $81,782 | ÷ (91.0 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Montana state-tax burden means for Software Engineer take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.8% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $74,433 (74.3% of gross). After the 91.0 RPP, real take-home is $81,782.
Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).
National context
Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $133,080 for Software Engineers with mean pay of $144,570 and total employment of 1,654,440. Montana sits at #47 on nominal pay and #48 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Montana falls 1 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Software Engineer make in Montana?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $100,190 for Software Engineers in Montana as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $77,990 and the 75th-percentile is $163,730.
- How are Montana Software Engineer salaries calculated on this page?
- Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.
- What does the top of the Software Engineer pay scale look like in Montana?
- The 90th percentile lands at $216,250. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $163,730.
- How many Software Engineers does Montana employ?
- BLS OES counts 2,070 Software Engineers employed in Montana in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
- Where does Montana rank for Software Engineer pay?
- On nominal BLS wages alone, Montana ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
- When does this data update?
- BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
- How does remote work affect software engineer pay in Montana?
- Remote-first companies typically anchor pay to one of three reference markets (Bay Area, NYC, or a national average) regardless of where the engineer lives. Montana-resident engineers working remotely for high-CoL companies can earn well above the in-state BLS median; the BEA RPP-adjusted real wage advantage is meaningful. Conversely, location-adjusted remote bands compress the spread.
Sources & methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 15-1252, 2024 reference period.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
- Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
- See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.
Cross-comparison: see how Montana Software Engineer pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.