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State profile · NCES F-33 FY2022

Teacher Salary in Montana

According to the NCES Common Core of Data finance survey, estimated teacher pay and per-pupil spending are available across 315 public school districts in Montana.

$73,667
Est. state avg salary
-14.1%
vs national
#34
National rank
315
Districts
$73,667/year (est.)

Montana's estimated average teacher salary is $73,667, materially below the national average of $85,759, ranking #34 of 51 states and territories, across 315 public school districts (NCES CCD F-33, FY2022).

  • middle third nationally (#34 of 51)
  • $57,147 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
  • -14.1% vs the national average
  • +7.8% since FY2019
  • #26 of 51 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 90.2)

What does the NCES F-33 data show for Montana?

Montana reports 315 public school districts in the NCES Common Core of Data FY2022 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, with an average teacher salary of $73,667. That places the state in the middle third of US teacher-pay rankings - #34 of 51, materially below the national average of $85,759 (-14.1%). The state's public schools serve 148,055 students across these districts. Most district figures divide total instructional spending by the district's REPORTED teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey); a small number of large consolidated districts that report staffing only at a sub-district level fall back to an estimated ratio instead, since total instructional spending also includes aides and assistants, both figures run somewhat above survey-reported classroom-teacher-only salaries, treat this as a relative cross-district comparison, not an exact paycheck, and see our methodology for the formula, its data source per district, and its limits.

Among enrolling districts, pay varies widely: Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 Schls reports the highest estimated average salary at $101,722, while Lone Rock Elem sits at the lower end at $44,575 - a spread of $57,147 between top and bottom reporting districts. Licensing rules, state aid formulas, collective bargaining density, and local tax bases all drive this intra-state variation. Urban and suburban districts with larger tax bases typically lead, while rural districts often lag despite lower cost of living.

Teacher compensation here reflects both state policy choices, the statutory minimum salary schedule, pension funding levels, licensure reciprocity, and the funding formula that determines how much state aid each district receives per pupil. A #34 national rank signals where Montana sits in the competition for teachers against neighboring states; teacher shortage areas typically correlate with lower pay rank. Figures below are per-district averages derived from the F-33 instructional salary expenditure field (Z33) divided by each district's reported teacher FTE (or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure), a district-level aggregate, not individual salary records.

Purchasing-power-adjusted rank

Montana's nominal average teacher salary ranks #34 of 51 states and territories. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2022 Regional Price Parity (90.2, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $81,690, ranking #26 of 51 , 8 places higher than the nominal rank once relative price levels are factored in. This purchasing-power view is not published by NEA's teacher-pay rankings or the aggregator sites; it comes from combining our own F-33-derived salary estimate with BEA's public RPP series. See the full 51-state release for methodology and download.

$74,000$76,000$78,000$80,000$82,000$84,000 FY2019FY2020FY2021FY2022 $75,858 $81,761 ▲ +7.8%

Montana's estimated average teacher salary, FY2019-FY2022

Source: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey (consistent estimated basis, all years) As of FY2022

Highest-paying districts in Montana

Estimated average teacher salary, enrolling districts (200+ students)

Est. avg salary

What this shows Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 Schls leads Montana on the F-33 instructional-salary estimate. Service entities (CTCs, county offices) are excluded, their enrollment-based ratios are not reliable salary figures.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2022 As of FY2022

Top 3 districts

1 $101,722

Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 Schls

Est. avg teacher salary
2 $100,695

Rocky Boy Elem

Est. avg teacher salary
3 $100,306

Box Elder Elem

Est. avg teacher salary

Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment Per-Pupil Exp
Somers Elem $62,831 568 $13,445
Shelby Elem $62,803 372 $11,637
Lewistown Elem $62,755 853 $15,203
Big Sky School K-12 $62,343 400 $32,408
Glendive Elem $62,321 803 $14,538
Plentywood K-12 Schools $62,298 359 $15,312
Clinton Elem $62,241 203 $17,335
Glasgow K-12 Schools $62,040 791 $14,058
Montana City Elem $61,933 467 $11,071
Fergus H S $61,834 339 $15,796
Lockwood K-12 $61,637 1,537 $14,336
Ennis K-12 Schools $61,545 411 $14,815
Hardin Elem $61,402 1,348 $17,950
Scobey K-12 Schools $61,267 279 $15,832
Cayuse Prairie Elem $61,259 276 $12,431
Thompson Falls Elem $61,212 290 $16,352
Anaconda H S $60,997 293 $11,898
Custer County H S $60,987 508 $12,675
Elder Grove Elem $60,986 662 $10,518
Bonner Elem $60,900 347 $13,899
Havre Elem $59,554 1,208 $12,470
Frenchtown K-12 Schools $59,192 1,463 $11,877
Twin Bridges K-12 Schools $59,047 210 $17,105
Victor K-12 Schools $58,578 261 $17,230
Manhattan School $58,519 503 $11,771
Conrad Elem $58,313 358 $12,447
Stevensville Elem $58,097 680 $14,453
Park H S $58,009 422 $17,268
Centerville Elem $57,952 228 $14,382
Forsyth Elem $57,690 218 $14,161
Clancy Elem $55,582 370 $9,246
Belt Elem $54,624 275 $10,884
Joliet Elem $54,471 274 $11,445
Lincoln County H S $54,175 293 $11,348
Elysian Elem $53,974 391 $11,481
Wolf Point H S $51,778 239 $20,444
Park City Elem $48,405 207 $13,638
Canyon Creek Elem $45,119 249 $11,707
Lone Rock Elem $44,575 213 $14,009

Showing 101–139 of 139 enrolling districts. Specialized non-enrolling agencies (career/technical centers, county offices, service co-ops) are excluded from the salary ranking, their enrollment-based estimates are not reliable.

Lowest-Paying Districts in Montana

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment
Lone Rock Elem $44,575 213
Canyon Creek Elem $45,119 249
Park City Elem $48,405 207
Wolf Point H S $51,778 239
Elysian Elem $53,974 391
Lincoln County H S $54,175 293
Joliet Elem $54,471 274
Belt Elem $54,624 275
Clancy Elem $55,582 370
Forsyth Elem $57,690 218

Among enrolling districts (200+ students) with a reliable estimate; service entities excluded, see methodology.

Compare Nearby-Ranked States

Georgia
$75,303
Rank #31
Texas
$74,920
Rank #32
Michigan
$74,751
Rank #33
New Mexico
$72,485
Rank #35

Data: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey, FY2022. Salary figures divide instructional expenditure (variable Z33) by each district's reported teacher FTE, or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure. Not individual salary data. Read our methodology.

Montana teacher salary FAQ

What is the average teacher salary in Montana?

Across Montana's 315 public school districts, the average teacher salary is $73,667 (NCES CCD F-33 finance data divided by CCD Staff Universe Survey teacher headcounts, FY2022). This figure is derived from total instructional spending and runs above survey-reported classroom-teacher-only salaries, read it as a relative comparison.

Which Montana school district pays teachers the most?

Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 Schls reports the highest average teacher salary in Montana at $101,722, while Lone Rock Elem sits at the lower end at $44,575.

How does Montana teacher pay compare to the national average?

Montana's average of $73,667 is materially below the national average of $85,759 (-14.1%), ranking #34 of 51 US states and territories.

How many school districts are in Montana?

Montana has 315 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 148,055 students.

Can teachers earn $100,000 in Montana?

3 of 139 Montana districts with reliable data report an estimated average teacher salary of $100,000 or more, led by Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 Schls at $101,722. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.

How does Montana rank after adjusting for cost of living?

Adjusted by the BEA's 2022 Regional Price Parity (90.2, US=100), Montana's purchasing-power-adjusted estimated teacher salary is $81,690, ranking #26 of 51 states and territories, higher than its #34 nominal-salary rank. This is a relative state-level price-level comparison, not take-home pay, taxes, or district/metro cost of living.

Related

All states → | Rankings → | Compare districts →
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher Editorial

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. Montana's district figures are aggregated directly from each district's FY2022 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 FY2022.