Montana minimum wage: $10.85 an hour, rising to $11.20 on January 1, 2027
Checked November 8, 2026Source: Montana Department of Labor and Industry, Employment Standards Division
Short answer
Montana’s minimum wage is $10.85 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2026, according to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, Employment Standards Division.
Tipped employees must be paid the full minimum wage in cash; Montana doesn’t let employers count tips toward it.
It rises to $11.20 on January 1, 2027.
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- Minimum wage today
- $10.85
- From January 1, 2027
- $11.20
- Full-time year at today’s rate (2,080 hours)
- $22,568
We found no city or county in Montana with its own higher minimum wage.
What the January 1, 2027 raise costs you
The raise is $0.35 an hour for anyone paid less than the new rate on January 1, 2027.
- Added wages a year
- $546
- Employer Social Security and Medicare (FICA), 7.65%
- $42
- Total added cost a year
- $588
Counts only the raise for workers below the new rate, over 52 weeks. It leaves out raises you give others to keep pay gaps, and state unemployment tax, which usually stops at a wage cap.
Montana minimum wage by date
| Effective | Minimum wage | Note |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2027Upcoming | $11.20 | Set October 7, 2026 (3.40% CPI-U increase, rounded to the nearest $0.05).source |
| January 1, 2026Current | $10.85 | No tip credit, meal credit or training wage allowed.source |
| January 1, 2025 | $10.55 | source |
Adjusted every January 1 by the change in CPI-U, the Consumer Price Index (August to August), rounded to the nearest $0.05; the department must set it by September 30.
Other Montana rates
Small business (gross annual sales of $110,000 or less)
Businesses not covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) with gross annual sales of $110,000 or less. Any individual employee covered by the FLSA (e.g., producing or moving goods across state lines) must get the higher federal or state rate.
Today: $4.00
Before January 1, 2027
- Update every hourly rate below $11.20 in payroll so the first paycheck on or after that date is right.
- Replace the minimum wage poster with the new year’s version from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, Employment Standards Division.
Other Montana pay rules
- Paydays
- No set frequency, but wages are due within 10 business days after the pay period ends. If the employer sets no pay period, it is presumed to be twice a month.
- Overtime
- State law matches the federal rule: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek.
- Final paycheck
- Fired: Immediately (within 4 hours or by the end of the business day, whichever comes first). A written company policy can extend this to the next regular payday or 15 days, whichever comes first. Quit: By the next regular payday or within 15 days, whichever comes first.
From the Montana Department of Labor & Industry and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables. All Montana employer rules.
Minimum wage in states next to Montana
If you hire across a state line, the worker’s state sets the rate.
| State | Today | Next change |
|---|---|---|
| Montana | $10.85 | $11.20 on January 1, 2027 |
| South Dakota | $11.85 | $12.30 on January 1, 2027 |
| Idaho | $7.25 | None scheduled |
| North Dakota | $7.25 | None scheduled |
| Wyoming | $7.25 | None scheduled |
Questions employers ask
What is the minimum wage in Montana in 2026?
Montana’s minimum wage is $10.85 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2026, according to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, Employment Standards Division.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Montana?
Tipped employees must be paid the full minimum wage in cash; Montana doesn’t let employers count tips toward it.
When does the Montana minimum wage go up next?
On January 1, 2027, to $11.20 an hour. Adjusted every January 1 by the change in CPI-U, the Consumer Price Index (August to August), rounded to the nearest $0.05; the department must set it by September 30.
Do cities in Montana have a higher minimum wage?
We found no city or county in Montana with a minimum wage above the state rate.
Does Montana require overtime pay?
State law matches the federal rule: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek.
Compare every state’s minimum wage · Everything employers in Montana must do
Sources
- Montana Department of Labor and Industry, Employment Standards Division
- Minimum Wage History, Montana Department of Labor and Industry (read Nov 7, 2026)
- 2027 Montana Minimum Wage Determination Letter (October 7, 2026), Montana Department of Labor and Industry (read Nov 8, 2026)