Forest and Conservation Technicians
Median $25.20 an hour in Montana · 1,760 jobs
Montana · 2026 take-home pay
$26 an hour after taxes in Montana
At $26 an hour in Montana you keep about $21.08 of every hour — $843 a week, $3,654 a month or $43,848 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Montana income tax. Montana has a graduated income tax, and its minimum wage is $10.85 an hour.
Where $26 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $54,080 | $1,040 | $26.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$4,310 | −$83 | −$2.07 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$3,353 | −$64 | −$1.61 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$784 | −$15 | −$0.38 |
| Montana income tax | −$1,785 | −$34 | −$0.86 |
| Take-home pay | $43,848 | $843 | $21.08 |
Effective tax rate 18.9% · federal bracket 12% · Montana bracket 4.7%.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $1,040.00 | $843.24 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $2,080.00 | $1,686.47 |
| Twice a month (24) | $2,253.33 | $1,827.01 |
| Monthly (12) | $4,506.67 | $3,654.02 |
$26 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Montana for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $26 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.
| Schedule | Gross a week | Take-home a week | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week* | $520 | $449 | $23,363 |
| 30 hours a week | $780 | $647 | $33,620 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,040 | $843 | $43,848 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $1,235 | $991 | $51,513 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,430 | $1,121 | $58,302 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $26 an hour good pay in Montana?
- Minimum wage: $26 an hour is 2.4 times Montana's minimum wage of $10.85 an hour. Businesses with annual sales over $110,000.
- Among Montana workers: It's about the 56th percentile of hourly pay in Montana (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 56 in 100 workers earn less. The median is $23.43 an hour.
- Local prices: Montana's price level is 94.6% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $43,848 a year buys about what $46,329 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,352 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,827 a month for needs, $1,096 for wants and $731 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Montana that pay about $26 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Montana is within 4% of $26 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Median $26.73 an hour in Montana · 1,530 jobs
Fence Erectors
Median $26.79 an hour in Montana · 680 jobs
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
Median $26.46 an hour in Montana · 530 jobs
Producers and Directors
Median $25.28 an hour in Montana · 390 jobs
Transportation Security Screeners
Median $26.33 an hour in Montana · 330 jobs
How Montana compares on $26 an hour
Montana ranks 29th of 51 for take-home pay on $26 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | $21.08 | $43,848 | $10.85 | — |
| Idaho | $21.09 | $43,875 | $7.25 | +$27 a year |
| North Dakota | $21.94 | $45,633 | $7.25 | +$1,785 a year |
| South Dakota | $21.94 | $45,633 | $11.85 | +$1,785 a year |
| Wyoming | $21.94 | $45,633 | $7.25 | +$1,785 a year |
How the federal tax on $54,080 ($26 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $54,080 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $37,980. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $25,580 | $3,070 |
| Total | $37,980 | $4,310 |
How the Montana income tax on $54,080 ($26 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $54,080 of Montana wages minus $16,100 standard deduction = $37,980.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 4.7% | $37,980 | $1,785 |
| Total | $37,980 | $1,785 |
Common questions
How much is $26 an hour after taxes in Montana?
About $21.08 for every hour you work, or $43,848 a year at 40 hours a week ($54,080 gross). Taxes take about 18.9% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $26 an hour a week after taxes in Montana?
About $843 a week at 40 hours, from $1,040 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,686.
How much is $26 an hour a month after taxes in Montana?
About $3,654 a month at 40 hours a week, from $4,507 gross.
Is $26 an hour good pay in Montana?
$26 an hour is 2.4 times Montana's minimum wage of $10.85 an hour. It's about the 56th percentile of hourly pay in Montana (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 56 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Montana is $23.43. After taxes and local prices, $43,848 a year buys about what $46,329 would at national-average prices.
Is Montana a high-tax state for $26 an hour?
It ranks 29th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $26 an hour. The most you'd keep is $45,633 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $41,736 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Montana
- $22 an hour in Montana
- $23 an hour in Montana
- $24 an hour in Montana
- $25 an hour in Montana
- $27 an hour in Montana
- $28 an hour in Montana
- $29 an hour in Montana
- $30 an hour in Montana
$26 an hour in every state · $50,000 a year in Montana · $55,000 a year in Montana · Montana paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Montana's income tax rules (methodology). Local income taxes are not included. Minimum wages: U.S. Department of Labor. Wage distribution and jobs: BLS OEWS May 2025. Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities.
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.