Counties in Montana by wages and salaries paid

Yellowstone County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 56 counties in 2017, at $4.06 billion. Petroleum County had the lowest, at $4.58 million. The median was $100.37 million and the figure for Montana was $20.66 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest4,055.4Yellowstone County
Median100.456 counties
Montana20,663.1History

Map of counties, 2017

Beaverhead County: 151.6 USD millionBig Horn County: 188.9 USD millionBlaine County: 57 USD millionBroadwater County: 54.2 USD millionCarbon County: 102.3 USD millionCarter County: 13.1 USD millionCascade County: 1,739.1 USD millionChouteau County: 49.9 USD millionCuster County: 206.8 USD millionDaniels County: 29 USD millionDawson County: 176.2 USD millionDeer Lodge County: 125.7 USD millionFallon County: 74.9 USD millionFergus County: 177.2 USD millionFlathead County: 1,901.8 USD millionGallatin County: 2,591.3 USD millionGarfield County: 12.2 USD millionGlacier County: 168.9 USD millionGolden Valley County: 7.4 USD millionGranite County: 33.4 USD millionHill County: 329.4 USD millionJefferson County: 113.1 USD millionJudith Basin County: 18.5 USD millionLake County: 332.3 USD millionLewis and Clark County: 1,710.3 USD millionLiberty County: 22.6 USD millionLincoln County: 198.3 USD millionMcCone County: 24.9 USD millionMadison County: 171.3 USD millionMeagher County: 18.7 USD millionMineral County: 36.4 USD millionMissoula County: 2,660.7 USD millionMusselshell County: 60 USD millionPark County: 225.2 USD millionPetroleum County: 4.6 USD millionPhillips County: 46.9 USD millionPondera County: 62.4 USD millionPowder River County: 18.1 USD millionPowell County: 98.4 USD millionPrairie County: 11.9 USD millionRavalli County: 452.4 USD millionRichland County: 301.1 USD millionRoosevelt County: 148.7 USD millionRosebud County: 214.6 USD millionSanders County: 103.6 USD millionSheridan County: 60.6 USD millionSilver Bow County: 689.7 USD millionStillwater County: 195 USD millionSweet Grass County: 80 USD millionTeton County: 67.4 USD millionToole County: 92.3 USD millionTreasure County: 7.1 USD millionValley County: 136.2 USD millionWheatland County: 22.8 USD millionWibaux County: 11.3 USD millionYellowstone County: 4,055.4 USD million
  • Under 20
  • 20 to 60
  • 60 to 100
  • 100 to 170
  • 170 to 320
  • 320 and over
USD million, 2017. Source: BEA, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2017

Yellowstone County: 4,055.4 USD millionYellowstone County4,055.4Missoula County: 2,660.7 USD millionMissoula County2,660.7Gallatin County: 2,591.3 USD millionGallatin County2,591.3Flathead County: 1,901.8 USD millionFlathead County1,901.8Cascade County: 1,739.1 USD millionCascade County1,739.1Lewis and Clark County: 1,710.3 USD millionLewis and Clark County1,710.3Silver Bow County: 689.7 USD millionSilver Bow County689.7Ravalli County: 452.4 USD millionRavalli County452.4Lake County: 332.3 USD millionLake County332.3Hill County: 329.4 USD millionHill County329.4Richland County: 301.1 USD millionRichland County301.1Park County: 225.2 USD millionPark County225.2Rosebud County: 214.6 USD millionRosebud County214.6Custer County: 206.8 USD millionCuster County206.8Lincoln County: 198.3 USD millionLincoln County198.3Stillwater County: 195 USD millionStillwater County195Big Horn County: 188.9 USD millionBig Horn County188.9Fergus County: 177.2 USD millionFergus County177.2Dawson County: 176.2 USD millionDawson County176.2Madison County: 171.3 USD millionMadison County171.3Glacier County: 168.9 USD millionGlacier County168.9Beaverhead County: 151.6 USD millionBeaverhead County151.6Roosevelt County: 148.7 USD millionRoosevelt County148.7Valley County: 136.2 USD millionValley County136.2Deer Lodge County: 125.7 USD millionDeer Lodge County125.7Jefferson County: 113.1 USD millionJefferson County113.1Sanders County: 103.6 USD millionSanders County103.6Carbon County: 102.3 USD millionCarbon County102.3Powell County: 98.4 USD millionPowell County98.4Toole County: 92.3 USD millionToole County92.3Sweet Grass County: 80 USD millionSweet Grass County80Fallon County: 74.9 USD millionFallon County74.9Teton County: 67.4 USD millionTeton County67.4Pondera County: 62.4 USD millionPondera County62.4Sheridan County: 60.6 USD millionSheridan County60.6Musselshell County: 60 USD millionMusselshell County60Blaine County: 57 USD millionBlaine County57Broadwater County: 54.2 USD millionBroadwater County54.2Chouteau County: 49.9 USD millionChouteau County49.9Phillips County: 46.9 USD millionPhillips County46.9Mineral County: 36.4 USD millionMineral County36.4Granite County: 33.4 USD millionGranite County33.4Daniels County: 29 USD millionDaniels County29McCone County: 24.9 USD millionMcCone County24.9Wheatland County: 22.8 USD millionWheatland County22.8Liberty County: 22.6 USD millionLiberty County22.6Meagher County: 18.7 USD millionMeagher County18.7Judith Basin County: 18.5 USD millionJudith Basin County18.5Powder River County: 18.1 USD millionPowder River County18.1Carter County: 13.1 USD millionCarter County13.1Garfield County: 12.2 USD millionGarfield County12.2Prairie County: 11.9 USD millionPrairie County11.9Wibaux County: 11.3 USD millionWibaux County11.3Golden Valley County: 7.4 USD millionGolden Valley County7.4Treasure County: 7.1 USD millionTreasure County7.1Petroleum County: 4.6 USD millionPetroleum County4.6Yellowstone County: 4,055.4 USD millionYellowstone County4,055.4Missoula County: 2,660.7 USD millionMissoula County2,660.7Gallatin County: 2,591.3 USD millionGallatin County2,591.3Flathead County: 1,901.8 USD millionFlathead County1,901.8Cascade County: 1,739.1 USD millionCascade County1,739.1Lewis and Clark County: 1,710.3 USD millionLewis and Clark County1,710.3Silver Bow County: 689.7 USD millionSilver Bow County689.7Ravalli County: 452.4 USD millionRavalli County452.4Lake County: 332.3 USD millionLake County332.3Hill County: 329.4 USD millionHill County329.4Richland County: 301.1 USD millionRichland County301.1Park County: 225.2 USD millionPark County225.2Rosebud County: 214.6 USD millionRosebud County214.6Custer County: 206.8 USD millionCuster County206.8Lincoln County: 198.3 USD millionLincoln County198.3Stillwater County: 195 USD millionStillwater County195Big Horn County: 188.9 USD millionBig Horn County188.9Fergus County: 177.2 USD millionFergus County177.2Dawson County: 176.2 USD millionDawson County176.2Madison County: 171.3 USD millionMadison County171.3Glacier County: 168.9 USD millionGlacier County168.9Beaverhead County: 151.6 USD millionBeaverhead County151.6Roosevelt County: 148.7 USD millionRoosevelt County148.7Valley County: 136.2 USD millionValley County136.2Deer Lodge County: 125.7 USD millionDeer Lodge County125.7Jefferson County: 113.1 USD millionJefferson County113.1Sanders County: 103.6 USD millionSanders County103.6Carbon County: 102.3 USD millionCarbon County102.3Powell County: 98.4 USD millionPowell County98.4Toole County: 92.3 USD millionToole County92.3Sweet Grass County: 80 USD millionSweet Grass County80Fallon County: 74.9 USD millionFallon County74.9Teton County: 67.4 USD millionTeton County67.4Pondera County: 62.4 USD millionPondera County62.4Sheridan County: 60.6 USD millionSheridan County60.6Musselshell County: 60 USD millionMusselshell County60Blaine County: 57 USD millionBlaine County57Broadwater County: 54.2 USD millionBroadwater County54.2Chouteau County: 49.9 USD millionChouteau County49.9Phillips County: 46.9 USD millionPhillips County46.9Mineral County: 36.4 USD millionMineral County36.4Granite County: 33.4 USD millionGranite County33.4Daniels County: 29 USD millionDaniels County29McCone County: 24.9 USD millionMcCone County24.9Wheatland County: 22.8 USD millionWheatland County22.8Liberty County: 22.6 USD millionLiberty County22.6Meagher County: 18.7 USD millionMeagher County18.7Judith Basin County: 18.5 USD millionJudith Basin County18.5Powder River County: 18.1 USD millionPowder River County18.1Carter County: 13.1 USD millionCarter County13.1Garfield County: 12.2 USD millionGarfield County12.2Prairie County: 11.9 USD millionPrairie County11.9Wibaux County: 11.3 USD millionWibaux County11.3Golden Valley County: 7.4 USD millionGolden Valley County7.4Treasure County: 7.1 USD millionTreasure County7.1Petroleum County: 4.6 USD millionPetroleum County4.6
USD million. Source: BEA, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017
USD million
Change on 2016
1Yellowstone County4,055.4+3.3%
2Missoula County2,660.7+5.7%
3Gallatin County2,591.3+8.4%
4Flathead County1,901.8+6.5%
5Cascade County1,739.1+4.2%
6Lewis and Clark County1,710.3+3.3%
7Silver Bow County689.7+1.8%
8Ravalli County452.4+4.1%
9Lake County332.3+4.1%
10Hill County329.4+3.9%
11Richland County301.1-1.4%
12Park County225.2+5.9%
13Rosebud County214.6+0.8%
14Custer County206.8-0.2%
15Lincoln County198.3+2.9%
16Stillwater County195+6.8%
17Big Horn County188.9-3%
18Fergus County177.2+1.9%
19Dawson County176.2+2.2%
20Madison County171.3+4.3%
21Glacier County168.9+2.1%
22Beaverhead County151.6+2.4%
23Roosevelt County148.7+2.3%
24Valley County136.2-1%
25Deer Lodge County125.7+0.8%
26Jefferson County113.1-2%
27Sanders County103.6+5.3%
28Carbon County102.3+9.6%
29Powell County98.4+3.1%
30Toole County92.3+1%
31Sweet Grass County80+2.6%
32Fallon County74.9-0%
33Teton County67.4+0.9%
34Pondera County62.4-5.5%
35Sheridan County60.6-3.4%
36Musselshell County60+2.1%
37Blaine County57+0.2%
38Broadwater County54.2+3.5%
39Chouteau County49.9+5.4%
40Phillips County46.9-1.5%
41Mineral County36.4+4.4%
42Granite County33.4+5.1%
43Daniels County29+1.2%
44McCone County24.9-0.3%
45Wheatland County22.8+3.3%
46Liberty County22.6+6.1%
47Meagher County18.7+5.7%
48Judith Basin County18.5-0.7%
49Powder River County18.1-10.5%
50Carter County13.1+4.3%
51Garfield County12.2+9%
52Prairie County11.9-3.1%
53Wibaux County11.3+0.4%
54Golden Valley County7.4+1.3%
55Treasure County7.1+2.8%
56Petroleum County4.6+4.7%

Other periods

About this ranking

Total wages and salaries paid to employees for jobs located in a place, including tips, bonuses and pay in kind, before deductions, in millions of current US dollars. United States: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional accounts, table SAINC4 line 50 for the nation and states and CAINC4 line 50 for counties.

Counted where the jobs are, not where the workers live, so places with many commuters coming in can pay more in wages than their residents receive in personal income (the District of Columbia does). Excludes employer contributions to pensions, insurance and social security, and the income of the self-employed.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2026). CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents (Counties in Montana by wages and salaries paid, 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip

MLA 9

CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents, Counties in Montana by wages and salaries paid, 2017. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 5 Feb. 2026, https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/montana-counties?period=2017. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. 2026. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Counties in Montana by wages and salaries paid, 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/montana-counties?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2026) CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents, Counties in Montana by wages and salaries paid, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/montana-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_montana_by_2017,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis}},
  title = {{CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents: Counties in Montana by wages and salaries paid, 2017}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/montana-counties?period=2017. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
TI  - CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents: Counties in Montana by wages and salaries paid, 2017
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/02/05
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/montana-counties?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/montana-counties?period=2017.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest wages and salaries paid?

Yellowstone County, with $4.06 billion in 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

Petroleum County, with $4.58 million in 2017.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Wages and salaries paid: other rankings

Counties in Montana: more rankings