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School district · Montana · LEAID 3013830

Helena H S

Helena H S sits in the highest third of Montana districts on estimated teacher pay at $104,507 (above 99% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Helena H S come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$104,507
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$13,679
Per-pupil spending
2,514
Students enrolled
99th
Pct. in MT
$104,507

Helena H S sits in the highest third of Montana districts on estimated teacher pay at $104,507 (above 99% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $104,507, above the national average of $70,245, serving 2,514 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Upper-third pay in state: Helena H S sits in the highest third of Montana districts on estimated teacher pay at $104,507 (above 99% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 99th percentile for Montana
  • 93rd 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.
  • Helena H S ranks #1 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #93 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
  • +20.3% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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How the salary estimate is built

FY2023 teacher salary expenditure

$17,717,000 ÷ 169.53 reported teacher FTE = $104,507

  • Regular program $14,104,000 · 79.6%
  • Special education $1,069,000 · 6.0%
  • Vocational programs $1,644,000 · 9.3%
  • Other programs $900,000 · 5.1%

These NCES F-33 program totals make up the numerator of the district-level average; they do not describe an individual teacher's pay or contract.

Instructional payroll mix vs Montana median

Among 317 Montana districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Helena H S's instructional payroll puts 79.6% into regular program , 10.4 points below the state median of 90.0%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Helena H MT median Gap
Regular program 79.6% 90.0% -10.4 pp
Special education 6.0% 6.7% -0.7 pp
Vocational programs 9.3% 0.0% +9.3 pp
Other programs 5.1% 0.0% +5.1 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 3013830 · FY2023.

LEAID 3013830 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Helena H F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +77% vs state RANK-ST-TOP P99 in state RANK-NAT-TOP P93 national PPE-LOW $14K/pupil ENR-MID 2,514 students INSTR-HIGH 52% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Butte FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $104,507 estimated average teacher salary · P99 in Montana · P93 nationally · 52% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Butte ($3,172est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Helena H

Salary neighbourhood · Helena H

Helena H 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).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Helena H

Helena H S's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$104,507 Top 7% higher than 93% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). Below this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Below this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Below this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). This entry sits in this band. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. Helena H S $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

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

Helena H in Montana's upper-third pay band

Same 140 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Helena H S ranks #1 of 140 Montana districts by estimated teacher salary and #93 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

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Helena H S is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Lolo Elem leads spending at $49,777 per pupil; Helena H S leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

What stands out about Helena H S

  • It ranks in the top 10% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 93% of the 10,684 reliable-salary districts nationally.
  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +20.3% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Montana's statewide +12.5% by 7.7 points, a growth rate faster than 75% of the 277 Montana districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment fell from 2,874 to 2,514 students (12.5% down) across FY2019–FY2023 while the instructional salary pool per teacher went up. Districts on that path are usually holding staffing steady against a falling roll, which lifts the per-teacher figure without anyone getting a raise, so read this page's salary estimate alongside the enrolment line rather than on its own.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$104,506.577

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Montana price level
91.0 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$114,825

+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 Helena H S

What the Numbers Say About Helena H S

Helena H S is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Montana, serving 2,514 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $13,679. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $104,507, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 3013830 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Montana statewide average of $59,058, teacher pay in Helena H S runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 77.0% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (48.8% differential). Among enrolling districts in Montana, it pays more than 99% 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, Helena H S reports $34.4M in total expenditure against $34.6M 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 $14.1M, special-education teacher pay is $1.1M.

How does Helena H S compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Montana average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Helena H S $104,507
Billings Elem $74,295
Montana avg $59,058
National avg $70,245

Helena H S pays +40.7% more than Billings Elem · per-pupil $13,679 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, Helena H S sits closest to Butte H S; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Kalispell 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.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Butte H S
  2. Whitefish Elem
  3. Helena Elem
  4. Evergreen Elem
  5. Missoula H S
  6. Bozeman H S
  7. Kalispell Elem
  8. Bozeman Elem
  9. Flathead H S
  10. Missoula Elem
  11. Polson Elem
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Kalispell Elem
  2. Great Falls Elem
  3. Florence-Carlton K-12 Schls
  4. Flathead H S
  5. Columbia Falls H S
  6. Ronan Elem
  7. Libby K-12 Schools
  8. Whitefish Elem
  9. Laurel Elem
  10. Lockwood K-12
  11. Miles City Elem

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Helena H S's enrollment scale

Two out-of-state peer sets for Helena H S: closest on enrollment (2,514 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($104,507 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

$34.6M
Total Revenue
$34.4M
Total Expenditure
$17.7M
Instruction Salaries
52% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$14.1M
Regular Program
$1.1M
Special Education
$1.6M
Vocational
$0.9M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Helena H S: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 100% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 0% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Montana Teacher Pay Overview

No comparably sized Montana district reports a higher average than Helena H S, so this page is the state's ceiling rather than a point on the way to it. Only the state ceiling itself: among the 64 districts of comparable size, Helena H S is paid at the very top of the state, and the state average sits well below it. 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

Large-district sample from 139 Montana peers with reliable NCES data; bar length shows pay magnitude within this slice.

Browning H S
$49,653
563 students
Shepherd Elem
$50,579
562 students
Bozeman H S
$78,274
2,631 students
Belgrade Elem
$64,111
2,374 students
Butte Elem
$67,248
2,966 students
East Helena K-12
$52,307
1,952 students

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 Helena H S
What is the average teacher salary in Helena H S?

The average teacher salary in Helena H S is $104,507 (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 Helena H S teacher pay compare to the Montana average?

Helena H S pays 77.0% more than the Montana state average of $59,058. The district's average is $104,507.

How does Helena H S teacher pay compare to the national average?

Helena H S pays 48.8% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $104,507.

What is the per-pupil spending in Helena H S?

Helena H S spends approximately $13,679 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Helena H S's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 52% of Helena H S's total expenditure of $34.4M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Helena H S
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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Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Helena H S's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.