Accountant salary in Billings, MT
Billings pays accountants close to the Montana norm. The median is $75,780 a year1, about level with the Montana statewide median of $75,810 and 9.4% below the US median of $83,680. Nationally it ranks #300 of 521 areas. About 790 accountants work here, 17% of the Montana total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Billings, MT. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Billings against Montana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billings, MT | $47,560 | $75,780 | $123,600 | |
| Montana | $49,250 | $75,810 | $125,290 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Billings earns $62,100–$97,870. The top tenth earns $123,600 or more, 2.6 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. The mean ($82,820) is 9% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $35,770 wide, between the figure for Montana ($35,630) and the US figure ($42,790).
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,560 | $3,963 | $22.87 | $61,368 |
| 25th percentile | $62,100 | $5,175 | $29.86 | $80,129 |
| Median | $75,780 | $6,315 | $36.43 | $97,781 |
| 75th percentile | $97,870 | $8,156 | $47.05 | $126,284 |
| 90th percentile | $123,600 | $10,300 | $59.42 | $159,484 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $22,090 over the median, the 25th only $13,680 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $28,503 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Billings, and the Montana statewide median of $75,810 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Billings
At the $75,780 median, a local hire costs about $97,781 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $22,001 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Billings
Of the 15 roles we track in Billings, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($85,540); marketing specialists come next at $67,380.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +12.9% | 520 | |
| Accountant | this role | 790 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -11.1% | 250 | |
| Recruiter | -13.6% | 440 | |
| Office Manager | -16.4% | 680 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #10 of the 15 roles we track in Billings (-9.4%), between office managers (-8.8%) and recruiters (-13.8%). The typical role here is at -8.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 10.6% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Billings, 11.3% across Montana and 9.2% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Montana
Across the 8 areas of Montana with data for this job, the median runs from $72,510 in Great Falls to $77,400 in Bozeman, a gap of $4,890 a year. The one area in Montana with more accountants, Bozeman, MT ($77,400), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Billings | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman, MT | +2.1% | 800 | |
| Helena, MT | +1.2% | 580 | |
| Billings, MT | this area | 790 | |
| East-Central Montana (Nonmetro) | -1.7% | 420 | |
| Southwest Montana (Nonmetro) | -1.9% | 320 | |
| West Montana (Nonmetro) | -3.7% | 640 | |
| Missoula, MT | -3.8% | 600 |
Billings against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Billings is #245 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Montana, Gainesville and Palm Bay-Melbourne pay just above Billings and Sierra Vista-Douglas and Pinehurst-Southern Pines just below. All four are within $80 a year of the median in Billings. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Billings | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, NC | +3.7% | 800 | jobs | |
| Saginaw, MI | +0.7% | 790 | jobs | |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | +0.1% | 2,110 | pay | |
| Gainesville, FL | +0.1% | 1,010 | pay | |
| Billings, MT | this area | 790 | ||
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | +0.0% | 190 | pay | |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | -0.0% | 370 | pay | |
| Iowa City, IA | -0.9% | 790 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Billings, MT?
About $97,781 a year at the median, or $8,148 a month: $75,780 in pay plus about $22,001 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Billings?
The median was $75,780 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $47,560, the 90th $123,600, and the middle half earned $62,100 to $97,870.
Is Billings cheaper than the rest of Montana for accountants?
About the same: a median of $75,780 against $75,810 statewide. The next area up in Montana is Helena at $76,700, the next down the East-Central Montana nonmetro area at $74,500.
How many accountants work in Billings?
BLS counts about 790 in the May 2025 survey. That is 17% of the Montana total of 4,730. Only Bozeman has more in Montana.
Does an accountant cost more than a marketing specialist in Billings?
Yes: $8,400 a year more at the median. The medians are $75,780 and $67,380.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.