School district · Montana · LEAID 3003800
Big Timber Elem
Big Timber Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (318 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Big Timber Elem come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $67,200
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $11,368
- Per-pupil spending
- 318
- Students enrolled
- 79th
- Pct. in MT
Above benchmark
Big Timber Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (318 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $67,200, near the national average of $70,245, serving 318 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Smaller enrollment scale: Big Timber Elem is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Montana districts (318 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
- 79th percentile for Montana
- 53rd percentile nationally
- 52% of spending reaches instructional salaries
- Montana ranks #36 of 49 on the salary estimate and #43 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
- Big Timber Elem ranks #30 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #126 of 140 by per-pupil spending. Helena H S pay #1 at $104,507 is not Lolo Elem spending #1 at $49,777 per pupil
- +21.7% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)
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Instructional payroll mix vs Montana median
Among 317 Montana districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Big Timber Elem's instructional payroll puts 97.0% into regular program , 7.0 points above the state median of 90.0%. Regular-program teachers claim more of the instructional salary pool here than at the median Montana district.
| Program | Big Timber | MT median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 97.0% | 90.0% | +7.0 pp |
| Special education | 3.0% | 6.7% | -3.7 pp |
Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 317 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 3003800 · FY2023.
LEAID 3003800 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
Big Timber F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $67,200 estimated average teacher salary · P79 in Montana · P53 nationally · 52% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Huntley ($36est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for Big Timber
Salary neighbourhood · Big Timber
Big Timber already leads most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).
- Livingston · low pole
Livingston · low pole
$42,701 est. salary
- Great · near
Great · near
$65,774 est. salary
- Huntley · near
Huntley · near
$67,164 est. salary
- Big · this district
Big · this district
$67,200 est. salary
- Butte · near
Butte · near
$67,248 est. salary
- Helena · top pay
Helena · top pay
$104,507 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Big Timber
Big Timber Elem's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$67,200 Top 47% higher than 53% of 10,684 US districts
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023
What stands out about Big Timber Elem
- Estimated teacher pay here rose +21.7% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Montana's statewide +12.5% by 9.2 points, a growth rate faster than 77% of the 277 Montana districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
- It is a very small district (318 students), where the enrollment-based salary estimate is more sensitive to staffing mix.
This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests
- Nominal district estimate
- $67,199.654
- Montana price level
- 91.0 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $73,834
The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.
BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.
+10% versus the nominal figure.
Prices in Montana run below the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. A district in a costlier state can advertise a larger nominal salary and still leave a teacher with less.
Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how Montana compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.
How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Big Timber Elem
What the Numbers Say About Big Timber Elem
Big Timber Elem is a small school district in Montana, serving 318 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $11,368. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $67,200, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3003800 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.
Relative to the Montana statewide average of $59,058, teacher pay in Big Timber Elem runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 13.8% gap, and near the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (4.3% differential). Among enrolling districts in Montana, it pays more than 79% of them. Montana itself ranks #36 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.
On the budget side, Big Timber Elem reports $3.6M in total expenditure against $3.7M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 52% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $1.5M, special-education teacher pay is $0.0M.
How does Big Timber Elem compare?
Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Montana average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.
Big Timber Elem pays -9.5% less than Billings Elem · per-pupil $11,368 vs $12,841
Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.
Data-derived comparison paths
Find comparable Montana districts
On pay, Big Timber Elem sits closest to Huntley Project K-12 Schools; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Smith Valley Elem. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.
Similar estimated teacher pay
Similar per-pupil investment
Out-of-state districts near Big Timber Elem's smaller enrollment
Two out-of-state peer sets for Big Timber Elem: closest on enrollment (318 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($67,200 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.
Similar enrollment
Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).
Similar estimated salary
Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.
Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.
Revenue & Expenditure
Instructional Salary by Program
The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 2 programs in Big Timber Elem: the regular program and special education. It reports no separate figure for vocational programs and other programs. Together they are 83% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 17% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.
Montana Teacher Pay Overview
The highest average among comparably sized Montana districts belongs to Helena H S at $104,507. Big Timber Elem places 21 of 65 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. New Mexico and Missouri are the states closest to Montana on BEA's price parity, which makes them the fair comparison; against a costlier state this salary goes further than its number suggests.
View all Montana districts →Other Montana Districts
Smaller-district sample from 139 Montana peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.
This is a sample of 6 from 139 Montana districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.
Frequently Asked Questions about Big Timber Elem
What is the average teacher salary in Big Timber Elem?
The average teacher salary in Big Timber Elem is $67,200 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).
How does Big Timber Elem teacher pay compare to the Montana average?
Big Timber Elem pays 13.8% more than the Montana state average of $59,058. The district's average is $67,200.
How does Big Timber Elem teacher pay compare to the national average?
Big Timber Elem pays 4.3% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $67,200.
What is the per-pupil spending in Big Timber Elem?
Big Timber Elem spends approximately $11,368 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of Big Timber Elem's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 52% of Big Timber Elem's total expenditure of $3.6M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for Big Timber Elem
Disclaimer & data sources
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher
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| Sources | Public official public datasets |