Web Developer · Montana · SOC 15-1254
2026 Web Developer Pay in Montana: BLS Median + Real Take-Home
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-05.
TL;DR
- Web Developers in Montana earn a BLS median of $65,490, with real take-home of $71,956 after BEA RPP adjustment.
- P25-P75 spread runs $55,790 to $80,140; P10 floor $50,070, P90 ceiling $98,910.
- Cost of living below the national index lifts real wage by $6,466 over the nominal — a take-home arbitrage that nominal-ranking tables miss.
- State ranks #44 nationally on nominal wage, #43 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
Wage breakdown — Montana
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $50,070 | $55,014 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $55,790 | $61,298 |
| P50 (median) | $65,490 | $71,956 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $80,140 | $88,052 |
| P90 (top tier) | $98,910 | $108,676 |
| Mean | $69,910 | $76,812 |
| Employment | 160 Web Developers 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 (Web Developer) | $65,490 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$5,721 | 8.7% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$2,757 | 4.7–5.9% (2 brackets) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$5,010 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $52,003 | 79.4% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $57,137 | ÷ (91.0 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Montana state-tax burden means for Web Developer take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.2% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $52,003 (79.4% of gross). After the 91.0 RPP, real take-home is $57,137.
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 $90,930 for Web Developers with mean pay of $98,790 and total employment of 78,860. Montana sits at #44 on nominal pay and #43 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Montana climbs 1 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the real (cost-adjusted) Web Developer salary in Montana?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 91.0 for Montana), the real-wage equivalent is $71,956 — what the $65,490 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $61,298 to $88,052.
- How many Web Developers does Montana employ?
- BLS OES counts 160 Web Developers 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.
- Why is the BEA RPP for Montana different from a single CPI number?
- BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Montana's overall index of 91.0 reflects rents 76.8, services 72.8, and goods 96.5.
- How wide is the wage spread in Montana?
- P10 to P90 spans $50,070 to $98,910. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
- Is Montana a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Web Developers?
- Yes — the BEA RPP of 91.0 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $65,490 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $71,956. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Web Developers comparing offers across regions.
- Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Montana?
- The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Montana.
- Web developer (15-1254) vs software engineer (15-1252) in Montana — what's the gap?
- BLS splits these into separate SOC codes, and the gap is large. In Montana, software developers (15-1252) typically earn 40-80% above web developers (15-1254) at the median, reflecting the latter's mix of agency work, WordPress/Shopify implementation, marketing-site builds, and front-end-only roles. Job titles labeled 'web developer' that are functionally full-stack engineers (React/Node, system design, on-call rotation) are usually classified by employers under 15-1252 and do not appear in this page's BLS aggregate. Read this page as the front-end / agency / CMS-implementer wage band, not the full software-engineering market.
Sources & methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 15-1254, 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 Web Developer 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.