Accountant salary in Missoula, MT
Hiring an accountant costs less in Missoula than in Montana or the country as a whole. The median is $72,920 a year1: 3.8% below the Montana statewide median of $75,810 and 12.9% below the US median of $83,680. Nationally it ranks #386 of 521 areas. About 600 accountants work here, 13% of the Montana total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Missoula, MT. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Missoula against Montana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missoula, MT | $47,860 | $72,920 | $114,010 | |
| Montana | $49,250 | $75,810 | $125,290 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Missoula earns $58,850–$88,730. The top tenth earns $114,010 or more, 2.4 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $29,880 wide, against $35,630 across Montana and $42,790 nationally: employers in Missoula pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,860 | $3,988 | $23.01 | $61,755 |
| 25th percentile | $58,850 | $4,904 | $28.29 | $75,935 |
| Median | $72,920 | $6,077 | $35.06 | $94,090 |
| 75th percentile | $88,730 | $7,394 | $42.66 | $114,490 |
| 90th percentile | $114,010 | $9,501 | $54.81 | $147,110 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $15,810 a year in pay and about $20,400 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $14,070 in pay. 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 Missoula, and the Montana statewide median of $75,810 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Missoula
At the $72,920 median, a local hire costs about $94,090 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $21,170 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 Missoula
Of the 14 roles we track in Missoula, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($84,250); marketing specialists come next at $65,350.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +15.5% | 360 | |
| Accountant | this role | 600 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -10.4% | 280 | |
| Office Manager | -13.5% | 490 | |
| Recruiter | -14.5% | 280 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #8 of the 14 roles we track in Missoula (-12.9%), between administrative assistants (-10.6%) and sales development representatives (-14.3%). The typical role here is at -11.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 11.1% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Missoula, 11.4% across Montana and 9.3% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
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. All 3 areas in Montana with more accountants than Missoula also pay more, among them Bozeman, MT ($77,400) and Billings, MT ($75,780).
| Area | Median | vs Missoula | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helena, MT | +5.2% | 580 | |
| Billings, MT | +3.9% | 790 | |
| East-Central Montana (Nonmetro) | +2.2% | 420 | |
| Southwest Montana (Nonmetro) | +1.9% | 320 | |
| West Montana (Nonmetro) | +0.1% | 640 | |
| Missoula, MT | this area | 600 | |
| Great Falls, MT | -0.6% | 280 |
Missoula against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Missoula is #308 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Montana, Lima and Springfield pay just above Missoula and Tyler and Morristown just below. All four are within $110 a year of the median in Missoula. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Missoula | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima, WA | +13.0% | 600 | jobs | |
| Medford, OR | +11.4% | 600 | jobs | |
| Springfield, MO | +0.1% | 2,070 | pay | |
| Lima, OH | +0.1% | 300 | pay | |
| Missoula, MT | this area | 600 | ||
| Tyler, TX | -0.0% | 800 | pay | |
| Morristown, TN | -0.2% | 240 | pay | |
| Lake Charles, LA | -3.9% | 600 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Missoula, MT?
About $94,090 a year at the median, or $7,841 a month: $72,920 in pay plus about $21,170 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Missoula?
The median was $72,920 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $47,860, the 90th $114,010, and the middle half earned $58,850 to $88,730.
Is Missoula cheaper than the rest of Montana for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $72,920 against $75,810 statewide. The next area up in Montana is the West Montana nonmetro area at $73,000, the next down Great Falls at $72,510.
How many accountants work in Missoula?
BLS counts about 600 in the May 2025 survey. That is 13% of the Montana total of 4,730. 3 areas in Montana have more; the closest in size is the West Montana nonmetro area, with about 640.
Does an accountant cost more than a marketing specialist in Missoula?
Yes: $7,570 a year more at the median. The medians are $72,920 and $65,350.
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.