Minimum Wage in Montana – weekly, monthly, annually

In Montana, the minimum wage is $9.20 an hour, which is $1.95 greater than the federal minimum hourly wage rate of $7.25.

In Montana, there is no tipped wage. The state doesn’t allow employers to pay tipped workers less than the state’s minimum wage rate, and unlike other states, Montana doesn’t permit a training wage level under the minimum wage level of $9.20.

Not all Montana employees may receive the minimum standard, though. Small Montana companies, for example, with gross annual sales of less than $110k, may pay their workers as little as $4.25 per hour.

Full-time students may earn only 85 percent ($7.82) of Montana’s minimum wage if they work up to 20 hours a week in a work-study program offered by a university.

New employees under the age of 20 may be paid a “training pay” of just $4.25 an hour for the first 90 days of employment. But there are more exempt groups (read more below).

Unlike other states, there are no specific laws in Montana that apply to unique work situations, such as the hospitality industry. There is no tip credit, a training wage, or meal credit allowed in Montana, except for workers younger than 20 in a new job, but that counts only for the first 90 days.

Montana Paycheck Calculator

Our free Montana Paycheck Calculator transforms your hourly pay into earnings per week, month, or year.

How to use this Montana paycheck calculator

1. Step one, enter your hourly pay.
2. Step two, enter how many hours you work in a week.
3. Then, our paycheck calculator indicates how that hourly pay translates to annual, monthly, or weekly earnings.

How does the Montana paycheck calculator work?

Employees with employment where they get paid periodically, for example, per month or week, may easily understand their wages and paychecks. At the end of the period, they will receive their paychecks, and at year’s end, they will receive their tax forms.

For employees, however, who get paid hourly, it is a bit different, and understanding how hourly pay translates to weekly, monthly, or annual earnings might get a bit complicated. To help these hourly workers, we designed this paycheck calculator. This way, they can easily see how their hourly pay translates to weekly, monthly, or annual earnings.

Here is how it works. The only things you need to do is put in your hourly pay and the number of work hours per week. Our paycheck calculator will instantly display how your hourly pay translates to weekly, monthly, and annual earnings.

These results are generated by multiplying your base hourly salary by the number of hours, weeks, or months you work annually, assuming you work 40 hours per week.

Minimum Wage in Montana

So the Montana minimum wage rate is $9.20 per hour, which translates to $73.60 per day, $368.00 per week (40-hour work week), $1594.67 per month, and $19,136.00 per year.

As said before, not all Montana workers receive this minimum hourly wage. Some worker groups are exempt, but in Montana, tipped restaurant and bar workers and tipped service workers must earn the state’s minimum wage as well.

Montana minimum wage exemptions

The following listing is not a full overview of exempt workers from Montana’s minimum pay regulations ($9.20), but it lists the most common groups.

• Small Montana companies with gross annual sales under $110,000 can pay their employees $4.00 an hour.
• Full-time students engaged in distributive education programs (work-learn programs) at a college or university on a part-time basis (20 hours a week max) can be paid 85% of Montana’s minimum wage rate, so $7.82 an hour.
• Young employees under 20 may get a “trainee wage” of $4.25 per hour for the first 90 days of a new job.
• Employees in private homes with casual jobs such as babysitting or housekeeping may hold exempt status, as may employer’s direct family members and persons largely dependent upon the employer may be exempt.
• Volunteers of a nonprofit organization that are employed on a fully or partially reimbursed basis and some workers with disabilities may hold exempt status, but only under very strict conditions.
• Learners younger than 18 years of age employed as farm workers may earn 50% of the state’s minimum wage (so $4.60) for maximally 180 days on the job.
• Retired or semi-retired persons who work part-time on a ranch or farm may be exempt, as are employees of religious and/or educational conference centers and seasonal nonprofit camps.
• Employees who provide companionship services in domestic settings because of age or infirmity may also hold exempt status.

All Montana employers must display a state-designated informative poster in a prominent and highly visible location to inform the employees about Montana’s minimum wage laws and their rights under state and federal law.

Montana overtime wage

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulates that in Montana, employees must receive 1.5 times their regular pay if they work in excess of 40 hours in one work week. The same applies if students work more than 48 hours in one work week in a seasonal job at a recreational or amusement area.

However, in Montana, administrators, executives, and other professionals that earn more than $455 per week are exempt from the state’s overtime wage requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Overtime hours are registered by the week, not by the day.

There are, however, more workers that are exempt from Montana’s overtime regulations. Commissioned salespersons, some truck drivers, agricultural and farm workers, taxicab drivers, elected officials, some hospital workers, and more groups may also be exempt from Montana’s overtime wage regulations.

What is work time?

Work time usually includes the hours during which an employee carries out duties or assignments for an employer. Work time includes the hours that an employee receives payment or should receive payment for activities that are initiated and controlled by an employer.

There’s no Montana law that requires an employer to provide lunch breaks or rest periods. However, an employer is entitled to get paid if work is required during a break, for example, covering the phones during lunch break. In general, employees are entitled to get paid for short breaks of up to 20 minutes. These breaks are considered part of the usual work day.

Please note that this post doesn’t contain legal advice. If you have any questions about Montana’s minimum wage policies or minimum wage compliance, consult a tax professional or a tax attorney.