Skilled Wages

Sheet metal worker salary in Montana

Median $29.53 an hour for 410 sheet metal workers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$29.53/hrMedian hourly wageMontana, May data
$61,420/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.30 – $40.4910th to 90th percentilehourly range
410Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Sheet metal worker pay in Montana: the full range

Wage percentiles, MontanaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrMontana: 10th $21.30 · 25th $24.78 · median $29.53 · 75th $37.96 · 90th $40.49Montana$29.53$21.30$40.49United States: 10th $18.57 · 25th $22.99 · median $29.71 · 75th $39.24 · 90th $50.79United States$29.71
Hourly wage percentiles for sheet metal workers: Montana vs United States, May 2025.

Montana ranks 28th of 50 states for median sheet metal worker pay, and 24th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $31.22). 410 sheet metal workers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.9× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$21.30 – $24.78$44,310 – $51,540roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$24.78 – $37.96$51,540 – $78,970the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$37.96 – $40.49$78,970 – $84,220the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Sheet metal worker pay by metro in Montana

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrBozeman: $34.75Bozeman$34.75Billings: $30.04Billings$30.04Missoula: $29.53Missoula$29.53Great Falls: $27.64Great Falls$27.64
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers by metro area in Montana, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Bozeman$21.09$34.75$33.90$44.295018% above
Billings$21.54$30.04$32.13$38.60802% above
Missoula$21.70$29.53$30.63$40.49120about the same as
Great Falls$20.98$27.64$28.55$39.32706% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Sheet metal worker wages in Montana over time

Montana, 1999-2025MontanaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$29.71United States$29.53Montana
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers, Montana vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearMontana $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$18.11$35.00$14.09—
2000$17.35$32.44$15.31520
2001$18.33$33.32$15.97660
2002$18.25$32.66$16.62570
2003$16.67$29.17$16.83400
2004$16.88$28.77$17.09550
2005$16.22$26.74$17.50490
2006$17.19$27.45$17.96540
2007$16.62$25.81$18.85490
2008$16.30$24.37$19.37730
2009$17.59$26.40$19.54600
2010$18.81$27.77$20.05710
2011$20.89$29.90$20.55540
2012$20.23$28.37$20.81470
2013$24.17$33.40$21.10510
2014$25.09$34.12$21.67510
2015$25.56$34.72$21.99600
2016$25.55$34.27$22.57610
2017$26.37$34.63$23.07520
2018$25.33$32.48$23.30410
2019$23.13$29.13$24.23370
2020$25.59$31.83$24.70390
2021$28.29$33.61$25.69350
2022$24.28$26.71$26.61220
2023$29.82$31.51$28.26420
2024$29.78$30.56$29.26520
2025$29.53$29.53$29.71410

In today's dollars, the median sheet metal worker wage in Montana changed by -14.9% over the last ten years of data and by +1.4% since 2019.

Are there more sheet metal worker jobs in Montana?

0.8Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.0× the US share, 25th of 50 states

BLS counted 410 sheet metal workers in Montana in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 18%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.

Outlook for sheet metal workers in Montana

+12.0%Projected growth in Montana2024–2034, state agency
60Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
610Jobs in 2024680 projected for 2034
+2.5%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Montana's labor market agency projects the number of sheet metal workers in the state to change by +12.0% between 2024 and 2034, from 610 to 680, with about 60 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.5% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 410 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Montana labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for sheet metal workers in Montana

On federally funded construction in Montana, contractors must pay sheet metal workers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 55 of the 56 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $62.07 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $28.70). 1 of the 56 counties still use a survey rate dated 2011 or earlier (for example Gallatin County at $28.70). The market median for the state is $29.53.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, MTBeaverhead: $62.07 (union)Big Horn: $62.07 (union)Blaine: $62.07 (union)Broadwater: $62.07 (union)Carbon: $62.14 (union)Carter: $62.07 (union)Cascade: $62.14 (union)Chouteau: $62.07 (union)Custer: $62.07 (union)Daniels: $62.07 (union)Dawson: $62.07 (union)Deer Lodge: $62.07 (union)Fallon: $62.07 (union)Fergus: $62.07 (union)Flathead: $62.07 (union)Gallatin: $28.70 (survey)Garfield: $62.07 (union)Glacier: $62.07 (union)Golden Valley: $62.07 (union)Granite: $62.07 (union)Hill: $62.07 (union)Jefferson: $62.07 (union)Judith Basin: $62.07 (union)Lake: $62.07 (union)Lewis and Clark: $62.07 (union)Liberty: $62.07 (union)Lincoln: $62.07 (union)McCone: $62.07 (union)Madison: $62.07 (union)Meagher: $62.07 (union)Mineral: $62.07 (union)Missoula: $62.14 (union)Musselshell: $62.07 (union)Park: $62.07 (union)Petroleum: $62.07 (union)Phillips: $62.07 (union)Pondera: $62.07 (union)Powder River: $62.07 (union)Powell: $62.07 (union)Prairie: $62.07 (union)Ravalli: $62.07 (union)Richland: $62.07 (union)Roosevelt: $62.07 (union)Rosebud: $62.07 (union)Sanders: $62.07 (union)Sheridan: $62.07 (union)Silver Bow: $62.07 (union)Stillwater: $62.07 (union)Sweet Grass: $62.07 (union)Teton: $62.07 (union)Toole: $62.07 (union)Treasure: $62.07 (union)Valley: $62.07 (union)Wheatland: $62.07 (union)Wibaux: $62.07 (union)Yellowstone: $62.14 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$62.07survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for sheet metal workers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)Prevailing (survey)$20$40$60$80/hrCascade (Great Falls): market median $27.64, prevailing (union) $62.14, gap +$34.50Cascade (Great Falls)+$34.50Missoula (Missoula): market median $29.53, prevailing (union) $62.14, gap +$32.61Missoula (Missoula)+$32.61Broadwater (Montana): market median $29.53, prevailing (union) $62.07, gap +$32.54Broadwater (Montana)+$32.54Carbon (Billings): market median $30.04, prevailing (union) $62.14, gap +$32.10Carbon (Billings)+$32.10Gallatin (Bozeman): market median $34.75, prevailing (survey) $28.70, gap −$6.05Gallatin (Bozeman)−$6.05
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for sheet metal workers, metro counties in Montana.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
CarbonUnion SHEE0103-008 2025-07-01$40.07$22.07$62.14MT20260061
CascadeUnion SHEE0103-008 2025-07-01$40.07$22.07$62.14MT20260062
MissoulaUnion SHEE0103-008 2025-07-01$40.07$22.07$62.14MT20260063
YellowstoneUnion SHEE0103-008 2025-07-01$40.07$22.07$62.14MT20260064
BeaverheadUnion SHEE0103-009 2025-06-01$40.00$22.07$62.07MT20260025
Big HornUnion SHEE0103-009 2025-06-01$40.00$22.07$62.07MT20260056
BlaineUnion SHEE0103-009 2025-06-01$40.00$22.07$62.07MT20260026
BroadwaterUnion SHEE0103-009 2025-06-01$40.00$22.07$62.07MT20260027
CarterUnion SHEE0103-009 2025-06-01$40.00$22.07$62.07MT20260057
ChouteauUnion SHEE0103-009 2025-06-01$40.00$22.07$62.07MT20260058
CusterUnion SHEE0103-009 2025-06-01$40.00$22.07$62.07MT20260057
DanielsUnion SHEE0103-009 2025-06-01$40.00$22.07$62.07MT20260028
DawsonUnion SHEE0103-009 2025-06-01$40.00$22.07$62.07MT20260029
Deer LodgeUnion SHEE0103-009 2025-06-01$40.00$22.07$62.07MT20260030
FallonUnion SHEE0103-009 2025-06-01$40.00$22.07$62.07MT20260057

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Montana prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Montana?

38.7kConstruction jobsMontana, 2026-09
+0.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k10k20k30k40k50k1990199520002005201020152020202539kSep 2026
Construction employment in Montana (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just sheet metal workers), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages. Across the 36 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 14,094 in 2015 to 21,099 in 2025, +49.7%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Broadwater County622$87,317$1,679
Cascade County52691$84,953$1,634
Gallatin County1301,126$80,774$1,553
Missoula County74796$79,681$1,532
Yellowstone County104928$77,527$1,491
Deer Lodge County430$75,712$1,456
Silver Bow County1776$74,896$1,440
Lewis and Clark County50348$68,626$1,320
Flathead County121641$65,726$1,264
Custer County422$65,711$1,264
Sanders County1225$64,738$1,245
Jefferson County1190$59,664$1,147

Keep comparing

Sheet metal worker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Montana

More on Montana

Questions this page answers

How much do sheet metal workers make in Montana?

The median sheet metal worker in Montana earned $29.53 an hour ($61,420 a year) in May 2025, 1% below the national median of $29.71. The middle half earn $24.78–$37.96; the top 10% earn more than $40.49.

Where does Montana rank for sheet metal worker pay?

Montana ranks 28th of 50 states for sheet metal worker pay, with a median of $29.53 an hour, and 24th after adjusting for Montana's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.6, US = 100).

What is the union sheet metal worker rate in Montana?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for sheet metal workers in 55 counties, with a typical package of $62.07 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many sheet metal workers work in Montana?

BLS counted 410 sheet metal workers in Montana in May 2025, 0.8 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.04; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is sheet metal worker work growing in Montana?

Montana's labor market agency projects +12.0% growth for sheet metal workers between 2024 and 2034, from 610 to 680 jobs.

How many sheet metal worker openings a year are there in Montana?

Montana projects about 60 openings a year for sheet metal workers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 9,800 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Montana and metro areas, SOC 47-2211. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: Montana labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.