High paying science jobs in Montana

Every science occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Montana. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single science job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Montana run 5.4% below the national average (2024), so a Montana salary is worth about 1.06× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in Montana.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find science jobs in Montana

OccupationMedian, Montana · Employed

1Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$101,950
Doctoral or professional degree
$63,820 – $139,770320
2Biological Scientists, All Other$91,560
Bachelor's degree
$60,830 – $113,610550
3Hydrologists$84,500
Bachelor's degree
$63,060 – $115,210190
4Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$82,380
Bachelor's degree
$63,420 – $115,920170
5Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$81,330
Bachelor's degree
$55,920 – $124,530720
6Urban and Regional Planners$80,770
Master's degree
$57,310 – $109,970270
7Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$80,260
Bachelor's degree
$64,290 – $124,800570
8School Psychologists$80,010
Master's degree
$59,520 – $101,380170
9Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists$78,850
Bachelor's degree
$62,540 – $96,100430
10Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers$75,520
Bachelor's degree
$54,450 – $121,100210
11Conservation Scientists$73,920
Bachelor's degree
$48,660 – $106,330560
12Soil and Plant Scientists$73,920
Bachelor's degree
$58,290 – $105,580230
13Foresters$67,200
Bachelor's degree
$50,900 – $86,260240
14Chemists$61,890
Bachelor's degree
$44,260 – $115,390300
15Chemical Technicians$52,890
Associate's degree
$41,510 – $102,620240
16Forest and Conservation Technicians$52,420
Associate's degree
$41,660 – $80,5401,760
17Biological Technicians$49,920
Bachelor's degree
$40,330 – $64,980430

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianMontana	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Medical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$101,950	$63,820 – $139,770	320
2	Biological Scientists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$91,560	$60,830 – $113,610	550
3	HydrologistsBachelor's degree	$84,500	$63,060 – $115,210	190
4	Social Scientists and Related Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$82,380	$63,420 – $115,920	170
5	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$81,330	$55,920 – $124,530	720
6	Urban and Regional PlannersMaster's degree	$80,770	$57,310 – $109,970	270
7	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthBachelor's degree	$80,260	$64,290 – $124,800	570
8	School PsychologistsMaster's degree	$80,010	$59,520 – $101,380	170
9	Zoologists and Wildlife BiologistsBachelor's degree	$78,850	$62,540 – $96,100	430
10	Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and GeographersBachelor's degree	$75,520	$54,450 – $121,100	210
11	Conservation ScientistsBachelor's degree	$73,920	$48,660 – $106,330	560
12	Soil and Plant ScientistsBachelor's degree	$73,920	$58,290 – $105,580	230
13	ForestersBachelor's degree	$67,200	$50,900 – $86,260	240
14	ChemistsBachelor's degree	$61,890	$44,260 – $115,390	300
15	Chemical TechniciansAssociate's degree	$52,890	$41,510 – $102,620	240
16	Forest and Conservation TechniciansAssociate's degree	$52,420	$41,660 – $80,540	1,760
17	Biological TechniciansBachelor's degree	$49,920	$40,330 – $64,980	430

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Montana. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for Montana

Metro areas in Montana

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in Montana

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Montana to rank honestly.

High paying science jobs in Montana

More for Montana

Metro areas in Montana

By field in Montana

Without a degree

High paying science jobs in each state