Missoula Employment

Employment and Industries in the Missoula, Montana Area

The tables here illustrate essential information about work and employment in the area. Information includes:

A table of the most numerous types of work found here, both for jobs generally requiring college degrees and jobs not requiring college degrees.
A table listing those careers significantly more common in Missoula than in other US cities; this is useful both for career planning and for understanding the nature of Missoula.
A list of the highest-paying jobs in Missoula.
A list of any large public companies in Missoula.

Most Popular Jobs in Missoula, Montana Metro Area (2008 data)

Where the Majority of Workers Have College Degrees

Rank	Title	Local Jobs	Local Mean Salary	Typical Local Salary	National Growth % 2006-2016	National % With College Degree
1	Registered nurses	1,180	56,600	$43,830 - 75,840	24%	56%
2	Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education	500	43,830	$20,170 - 64,980	6%	96%
3	Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products	390	43,090	$19,640 - 71,260	8%	51%
4	Accountants and auditors	290	53,600	$24,510 - 100,590	18%	79%
5	Lawyers	250	76,920	$31,030 - 138,580	11%	99%
6	Coaches and scouts	240	20,700	$13,770 - 36,500	15%	60%
7	Social and human service assistants	230	21,560	$16,280 - 30,110	34%	58%
8	Physical therapists	180	52,020	$33,110 - 68,250	27%	89%
9	Pharmacists	150	90,540	$71,280 - 109,160	22%	97%
10	Mental health counselors	130	31,850	$17,450 - 46,830	30%	73%
11	Training and development specialists	120	41,160	$32,740 - 57,890	18%	56%
12	Child, family, and school social workers	120	34,060	$26,900 - 40,530	19%	77%
13	Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists	110	35,550	$22,520 - 48,130	18%	56%
14	Civil engineers	110	70,670	$45,890 - 100,010	18%	87%
15	Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation	100	41,880	$28,450 - 66,380	5%	58%
16	Network and computer systems administrators	100	51,380	$33,830 - 74,250	27%	50%
17	Public relations specialists	100	48,820	$22,510 - 100,950	18%	81%
18	Social and community service managers	90	41,170	$27,020 - 64,000	25%	72%
19	Computer programmers	90	51,910	$24,470 - 93,740	0%	73%
20	Natural sciences managers	90	91,470	$70,010 - 119,320	11%	93%
21	Advertising sales agents	90	32,440	$19,880 - 50,360	20%	56%
22	Biological scientists, all other	90	62,730	$33,040 - 95,650	4%	95%
23	Graphic designers	90	35,780	$23,300 - 57,290	10%	55%
24	Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents	80		$ -	25%	67%
25	Clergy	80	40,120	$15,050 - 65,830	19%	75%
26	Financial managers	80	75,400	$52,410 - 113,580	13%	60%
27	Managers, all other	80	59,020	$36,790 - 101,460	7%	55%
28	Medical and public health social workers	80	32,790	$21,600 - 49,500	24%	77%
29	Medical and health services managers	80	73,530	$39,090 - 108,840	16%	57%
30	Writers and authors	70	55,520	$26,530 - 149,160	13%	84%
31	Education administrators, elementary and secondary school	70	82,020	$66,440 - 104,070	8%	78%
32	Teachers and instructors, all other	70	24,240	$14,870 - 32,290	9%	54%
33	Sales managers	70	64,540	$37,650 - 98,560	10%	69%
34	Conservation scientists	70	63,740	$41,120 - 94,490	5%	86%
35	Editors	60	40,230	$20,630 - 62,170	2%	81%
36	Chief executives	60	138,190	$56,810 -	2%	65%
37	Computer specialists, all other	60	49,530	$22,880 - 95,890	15%	68%
38	Educational, vocational, and school counselors	60	43,830	$22,150 - 78,170	13%	73%
39	Architects, except landscape and naval	50	54,910	$35,760 - 80,620	18%	88%
40	Occupational therapists	50	61,000	$44,140 - 77,780	23%	90%
41	Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program	50		$ -	24%	78%
42	Medical and clinical laboratory technologists	50	48,480	$36,210 - 63,780	12%	51%
43	Network systems and data communications analysts	50	46,100	$24,110 - 73,740	53%	57%
44	Computer systems analysts	50	65,720	$39,760 - 113,950	29%	68%
45	Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists	50	47,550	$29,320 - 86,710	16%	99%
46	Librarians	40	50,520	$36,110 - 66,970	4%	85%
47	Rehabilitation counselors	40	36,400	$26,360 - 54,590	23%	73%
48	Credit analysts	40	43,370	$28,110 - 61,740	2%	60%
49	Computer and information systems managers	40	101,590	$55,240 -	16%	73%
50	Technical writers	40	39,690	$18,060 - 75,280	20%	74%
51	Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists	40	43,710	$30,300 - 60,310	18%	56%
52	Database administrators	40	53,090	$24,690 - 73,960	29%	72%
53	Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products	40	38,030	$17,800 - 71,610	12%	51%
54	Physician assistants	40	93,700	$59,160 - 106,580	27%	67%
55	Public relations managers	40	56,750	$41,260 - 78,320	17%	75%
56	Instructional coordinators	30	43,880	$31,280 - 73,340	23%	79%
57	Financial specialists, all other	30	27,100	$14,100 - 42,820	12%	50%
58	Directors, religious activities and education	30	22,260	$13,590 - 34,360	20%	64%
59	Detectives and criminal investigators	30	64,140	$40,190 - 97,640	17%	54%

Where the Majority of Workers Do Not Have College Degrees

Rank	Title	Local Jobs	Local Mean Salary	Typical Local Salary	National Growth % 2006-2016	National % With College Degree
1	Retail salespersons	2,910	25,030	$14,350 - 42,470	12%	25%
2	Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive	1,590	25,960	$16,750 - 36,250	1%	18%
3	Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks	1,380	29,860	$16,850 - 44,580	13%	16%
4	Cashiers	1,380	18,550	$13,830 - 24,770	-2%	10%
5	Food preparation workers	1,300	15,470	$13,360 - 19,170	15%	7%
6	Waiters and waitresses	1,300	16,420	$13,550 - 22,220	11%	14%
7	Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners	1,040	20,450	$14,220 - 26,700	15%	4%
8	General and operations managers	900	78,540	$40,900 - 133,650	2%	48%
9	Executive secretaries and administrative assistants	880	31,630	$22,180 - 44,780	15%	18%
10	Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand	790	23,680	$15,920 - 33,590	2%	5%
11	Stock clerks and order fillers	780	21,210	$14,540 - 30,320	-7%	8%
12	Office clerks, general	700	22,920	$14,990 - 30,780	13%	19%
13	Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer	690	38,420	$23,920 - 55,020	10%	4%
14	Carpenters	640	33,720	$18,320 - 43,550	10%	6%
15	Maids and housekeeping cleaners	600	17,180	$13,730 - 23,040	13%	5%
16	Personal and home care aides	590	20,300	$16,420 - 25,070	51%	10%
17	Bartenders	570	18,810	$14,070 - 24,720	11%	17%
18	Cooks, restaurant	550	20,120	$16,150 - 27,310	12%	5%
19	First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers	510	36,730	$22,060 - 58,360	4%	25%
20	Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants	500	21,800	$17,620 - 25,660	18%	7%
21	Teacher assistants	470	18,000	$13,850 - 24,090	10%	18%
22	Truck drivers, light or delivery services	470	27,460	$17,400 - 41,500	8%	4%
23	Receptionists and information clerks	430	23,830	$17,070 - 31,290	17%	13%
24	First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers	430	40,990	$23,430 - 66,070	6%	29%
25	Construction laborers	420	33,720	$19,410 - 49,880	11%	5%
26	Maintenance and repair workers, general	400	30,050	$19,090 - 41,510	10%	6%
27	Landscaping and groundskeeping workers	390	23,650	$16,500 - 32,930	18%	6%
28	Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses	350	33,360	$26,910 - 42,080	14%	7%
29	Dishwashers	330	16,310	$13,830 - 19,430	10%	3%
30	Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators	330	36,810	$23,900 - 52,560	8%	3%
31	First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers	310	31,300	$18,130 - 42,070	11%	14%
32	Automotive service technicians and mechanics	280	35,100	$19,270 - 50,560	14%	4%
33	Child care workers	280	16,850	$13,490 - 22,310	18%	15%
34	Tellers	270	22,420	$17,800 - 26,760	14%	16%
35	Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	270	52,960	$30,640 - 71,200	11%	4%
36	Counter and rental clerks	260	21,940	$14,630 - 31,970	23%	16%
37	Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks	260	31,580	$17,090 - 55,040	4%	6%
38	Preschool teachers, except special education	240	23,860	$17,390 - 36,020	26%	43%
39	Loan officers	230	55,470	$26,240 - 111,020	12%	49%
40	Cooks, institution and cafeteria	230	19,060	$14,180 - 25,510	11%	5%
41	Electricians	220	53,460	$36,200 - 67,530	7%	7%
42	Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks	210	16,800	$13,580 - 22,410	17%	14%
43	Computer support specialists	210	38,850	$22,890 - 59,160	13%	43%
44	Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers	200	17,010	$13,680 - 23,100	12%	6%
45	Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists	190	40,160	$27,350 - 53,430	12%	3%
46	Data entry keyers	190	21,780	$16,730 - 28,760	-4%	18%
47	Business operations specialists, all other	190	53,760	$15,490 - 92,210	21%	49%
48	Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors	190	25,870	$13,880 - 49,050	27%	47%
49	Bill and account collectors	180	30,210	$21,460 - 42,870	23%	13%
50	First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers	180	57,090	$28,420 - 99,110	-4%	15%
51	First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers	180	52,890	$35,610 - 73,900	9%	10%
52	Driver/sales workers	180	27,090	$19,790 - 36,560	-4%	4%
53	Billing and posting clerks and machine operators	180	28,420	$19,490 - 36,780	4%	15%
54	Fire fighters	170	45,220	$35,240 - 60,890	12%	18%
55	Medical secretaries	170	30,090	$21,360 - 44,620	17%	18%
56	Parts salespersons	170	31,500	$20,290 - 52,200	-1%	6%
57	Recreation workers	170	21,140	$13,890 - 34,270	13%	47%
58	Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists	170	20,130	$14,820 - 26,920	12%	6%
59	Dental assistants	160	33,400	$22,790 - 42,220	29%	9%
60	Food servers, nonrestaurant	160	19,320	$14,220 - 28,080	16%	9%
61	First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers	160	59,180	$37,180 - 90,470	7%	13%
62	Insurance sales agents	160	46,140	$21,220 - 82,530	13%	45%
63	Packers and packagers, hand	150	18,110	$13,700 - 28,010	-11%	3%
64	Home health aides	150	20,280	$16,950 - 25,330	49%	7%
65	Industrial truck and tractor operators	150	33,080	$23,310 - 46,630	-1%	2%
66	Cleaners of vehicles and equipment	140	17,700	$13,790 - 23,980	14%	3%
67	Legal secretaries	140	24,400	$17,680 - 35,850	12%	18%
68	Police and sheriff's patrol officers	140	41,330	$34,040 - 51,540	11%	33%
69	Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products	120	39,210	$27,360 - 61,500	0%	36%
70	Painters, construction and maintenance	120	33,240	$23,340 - 42,390	12%	6%
71	Word processors and typists	120	27,910	$20,530 - 38,310	-11%	19%
72	Automotive body and related repairers	120	35,370	$24,140 - 48,920	12%	3%
73	Loan interviewers and clerks	110	24,660	$18,530 - 31,670	0%	24%
74	Tire repairers and changers	110	25,400	$17,180 - 37,410	20%	6%
75	Logging equipment operators	110	37,870	$24,810 - 67,390	0%	2%
76	Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop	110	16,240	$13,600 - 20,720	10%	17%
77	Dental hygienists	110	63,100	$54,510 - 77,800	30%	33%
78	Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products	110	44,290	$23,590 - 78,090	0%	42%
79	Postal service mail carriers	110			1%	11%
80	Bakers	100	25,440	$17,460 - 33,350	10%	8%
81	Helpers--production workers	100	33,540	$22,790 - 46,080	0%	4%
82	Nonfarm animal caretakers	100	17,580	$14,010 - 22,350	18%	16%
83	All other information and record clerks	100	34,550	$25,760 - 47,270	-12%	21%
84	Property, real estate, and community association managers	100	25,040	$16,830 - 32,180	15%	36%
85	Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance	100	39,440	$19,450 - 64,580	2%	11%
86	Roofers	100	27,260	$19,240 - 39,090	14%	3%
87	Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers	100	39,220	$21,360 - 63,320	-6%	14%
88	Medical records and health information technicians	100	31,500	$19,770 - 48,010	18%	12%
89	Surveying and mapping technicians	100	35,750	$24,390 - 56,950	19%	7%
90	Pharmacy technicians	100	29,030	$21,860 - 39,820	32%	16%
91	Surgical technologists	90	38,940	$32,690 - 49,260	25%	16%
92	Cost estimators	90	58,470	$35,990 - 79,790	19%	32%
93	Cement masons and concrete finishers	90	38,440	$16,420 - 56,700	11%	2%
94	Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers	90	15,930	$13,700 - 18,810	19%	31%
95	Medical transcriptionists	90	33,350	$26,480 - 47,300	14%	10%
96	Interviewers, except eligibility and loan	80	26,040	$20,560 - 32,730	10%	24%
97	Medical assistants	80	28,650	$20,650 - 46,410	35%	10%
98	Laundry and dry-cleaning workers	80	17,280	$13,780 - 22,850	10%	5%
99	Physicians and surgeons, all other	80	214,520	$149,170 -	0%	0%
100	Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing	80	33,120	$23,290 - 39,760	6%	0%

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Jobs More Common Near Missoula Than Most Other Cities

* Average job popularity for metro areas = 1.0

Title	Mean Local Salary	Local Jobs	Pop. vs. Avg.*
Logging equipment operators	37,870	110	47.1
Food preparation workers	15,470	1,300	4.4
Coaches and scouts	20,700	240	4.3
Surveying and mapping technicians	35,750	100	4.3
Mental health counselors	31,850	130	3.9
Personal and home care aides	20,300	590	3.8
Tire repairers and changers	25,400	110	3.8
Bartenders	18,810	570	3.3
Physical therapists	52,020	180	3.1
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks	16,800	210	2.9
Word processors and typists	27,910	120	2.9
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators	36,810	330	2.8
Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products	39,210	120	2.6
Food servers, nonrestaurant	19,320	160	2.5
Roofers	27,260	100	2.5
Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive	25,960	1,590	2.5
Automotive body and related repairers	35,370	120	2.4
Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors	25,870	190	2.4
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists	40,160	190	2.4
Parts salespersons	31,500	170	2.3
Nonfarm animal caretakers	17,580	100	2.3
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks	29,860	1,380	2.2
Social and human service assistants	21,560	230	2.2
Bakers	25,440	100	2.1
Carpenters	33,720	640	2.1
Cooks, institution and cafeteria	19,060	230	2.1
Loan officers	55,470	230	2.1
Maids and housekeeping cleaners	17,180	600	2
Fire fighters	45,220	170	2
Data entry keyers	21,780	190	1.9
Retail salespersons	25,030	2,910	1.9
Dishwashers	16,310	330	1.9
Recreation workers	21,140	170	1.8
Dental hygienists	63,100	110	1.8
Property, real estate, and community association managers	25,040	100	1.8
Cooks, restaurant	20,120	550	1.8
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	52,960	270	1.8
Preschool teachers, except special education	23,860	240	1.8
Medical records and health information technicians	31,500	100	1.8
Pharmacists	90,540	150	1.7
Counter and rental clerks	21,940	260	1.7
Executive secretaries and administrative assistants	31,630	880	1.6
Training and development specialists	41,160	120	1.6
General and operations managers	78,540	900	1.6
Waiters and waitresses	16,420	1,300	1.6
Dental assistants	33,400	160	1.6
Legal secretaries	24,400	140	1.5
Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education	43,830	500	1.5
Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance	39,440	100	1.5
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses	33,360	350	1.5

Work Paying Relatively Well in the Missoula, Montana Metro Area (2008 data)

* Average Salary Index for metro areas = 1.0

Title	Mean Local Salary	Salary Index *	Local Jobs
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	52,960	1.15	270
Electricians	53,460	1.14	220
Logging equipment operators	37,870	1.13	110
Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks	31,580	1.11	260
Industrial truck and tractor operators	33,080	1.1	150
Construction laborers	33,720	1.08	420
First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers	57,090	1.08	180
Tire repairers and changers	25,400	1.07	110
Fire fighters	45,220	1.07	170
First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers	59,180	1.04	160
Medical secretaries	30,090	1.04	170
Dental assistants	33,400	1.04	160
First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers	31,300	1.03	310
Driver/sales workers	27,090	1.03	180
Parts salespersons	31,500	1.03	170
Retail salespersons	25,030	1.03	2,910
Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer	38,420	1.02	690
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists	40,160	1.02	190
Personal and home care aides	20,300	1.02	590
Cashiers	18,550	1	1,380
Receptionists and information clerks	23,830	1	430
Dental hygienists	63,100	0.99	110
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand	23,680	0.98	790
Bill and account collectors	30,210	0.98	180
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers	17,010	0.98	200
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers	23,650	0.98	390
Bartenders	18,810	0.97	570
Painters, construction and maintenance	33,240	0.97	120
Automotive service technicians and mechanics	35,100	0.97	280
Civil engineers	70,670	0.97	110
Food servers, nonrestaurant	19,320	0.96	160
Home health aides	20,280	0.95	150
First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers	36,730	0.95	510
Truck drivers, light or delivery services	27,460	0.95	470
Dishwashers	16,310	0.95	330
Tellers	22,420	0.95	270
Counter and rental clerks	21,940	0.94	260
Loan officers	55,470	0.94	230
Billing and posting clerks and machine operators	28,420	0.94	180
Preschool teachers, except special education	23,860	0.94	240
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks	29,860	0.93	1,380
Stock clerks and order fillers	21,210	0.93	780
Cooks, restaurant	20,120	0.93	550
Computer support specialists	38,850	0.93	210
Registered nurses	56,600	0.92	1,180
Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop	16,240	0.92	110
Business operations specialists, all other	53,760	0.91	190
First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers	52,890	0.91	180
First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers	40,990	0.91	430
Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants	21,800	0.91	500

Highest Paying Jobs in Missoula, Montana Metro Area (2008 data)

Title	Mean Local Salary	Local Jobs
Physicians and surgeons, all other	214,520	80
Family and general practitioners	138,490	50
Chief executives	138,190	60
Computer and information systems managers	101,590	40
Physician assistants	93,700	40
Natural sciences managers	91,470	90
Pharmacists	90,540	150
Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers	84,630
Education administrators, elementary and secondary school	82,020	70
General and operations managers	78,540	900
Lawyers	76,920	250
Financial managers	75,400	80
Medical and health services managers	73,530	80
Computer software engineers, systems software	72,290
Civil engineers	70,670	110
Appraisers and assessors of real estate	70,590	40
Computer systems analysts	65,720	50
Sales managers	64,540	70
Detectives and criminal investigators	64,140	30
Computer software engineers, applications	64,050
Conservation scientists	63,740	70
Dental hygienists	63,100	110
Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment	63,080
Biological scientists, all other	62,730	90
Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators	62,220
First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers	62,150	30
Management analysts	61,450
Occupational therapists	61,000	50
First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers	59,180	160
Managers, all other	59,020	80
Construction managers	58,820
Cost estimators	58,470	90
First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers	57,090	180
Public relations managers	56,750	40
Registered nurses	56,600	1,180
Speech-language pathologists	55,820
Writers and authors	55,520	70
Loan officers	55,470	230
Architects, except landscape and naval	54,910	50
Business operations specialists, all other	53,760	190
Accountants and auditors	53,600	290
Electricians	53,460	220
Database administrators	53,090	40
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	52,960	270
First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers	52,890	180
Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other	52,710
Mechanical engineers	52,600
Physical therapists	52,020	180
Computer programmers	51,910	90
Network and computer systems administrators	51,380	100

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