To take home four times the typical rent, a full-time job in Montana needs to pay from $24.25 an hour in Phillips County to $47.05 in Gallatin County, before taxes. The middle county is Musselshell County at $32.02.
| County | Pay needed | Studio rent |
|---|---|---|
| Beaverhead County | $25.74/hr | $840/mo |
| Big Horn County | $34.53/hr | $1,105/mo |
| Blaine County | $27.89/hr | $905/mo |
| Broadwater County | $39.52/hr | $1,235/mo |
| Carbon County | $28.71/hr | $930/mo |
| Carter County | $27.06/hr | $880/mo |
| Cascade County | $30.69/hr | $990/mo |
| Chouteau County | $35.09/hr | $1,120/mo |
| Custer County | $36.62/hr | $1,160/mo |
| Daniels County | $25.08/hr | $820/mo |
| Dawson County | $32.68/hr | $1,050/mo |
| Deer Lodge County | $25.31/hr | $827/mo |
| Fallon County | $33.44/hr | $1,073/mo |
| Fergus County | $34.01/hr | $1,090/mo |
| Flathead County | $40.10/hr | $1,250/mo |
| Gallatin County | $47.05/hr | $1,430/mo |
| Garfield County | $25.74/hr | $840/mo |
| Glacier County | $30.26/hr | $977/mo |
| Golden Valley County | $31.88/hr | $1,026/mo |
| Granite County | $30.36/hr | $980/mo |
| Hill County | $31.36/hr | $1,010/mo |
| Jefferson County | $32.35/hr | $1,040/mo |
| Judith Basin County | $27.55/hr | $895/mo |
| Lake County | $35.09/hr | $1,120/mo |
| Lewis and Clark County | $36.23/hr | $1,150/mo |
| Liberty County | $26.40/hr | $860/mo |
| Lincoln County | $32.35/hr | $1,040/mo |
| Madison County | $34.18/hr | $1,095/mo |
| McCone County | $33.18/hr | $1,065/mo |
| Meagher County | $33.24/hr | $1,067/mo |
| Mineral County | $30.53/hr | $985/mo |
| Missoula County | $37.78/hr | $1,190/mo |
| Musselshell County | $32.02/hr | $1,030/mo |
| Park County | $36.62/hr | $1,160/mo |
| Petroleum County | $37.62/hr | $1,186/mo |
| Phillips County | $24.25/hr | $795/mo |
| Pondera County | $30.69/hr | $990/mo |
| Powder River County | $24.91/hr | $815/mo |
| Powell County | $29.37/hr | $950/mo |
| Prairie County | $37.39/hr | $1,180/mo |
| Ravalli County | $32.68/hr | $1,050/mo |
| Richland County | $36.23/hr | $1,150/mo |
| Roosevelt County | $32.68/hr | $1,050/mo |
| Rosebud County | $28.05/hr | $910/mo |
| Sanders County | $26.23/hr | $855/mo |
| Sheridan County | $28.38/hr | $920/mo |
| Silver Bow County | $33.68/hr | $1,080/mo |
| Stillwater County | $32.68/hr | $1,050/mo |
| Sweet Grass County | $30.69/hr | $990/mo |
| Teton County | $32.68/hr | $1,050/mo |
| Toole County | $30.69/hr | $990/mo |
| Treasure County | $37.78/hr | $1,190/mo |
| Valley County | $28.38/hr | $920/mo |
| Wheatland County | $29.70/hr | $960/mo |
| Wibaux County | $37.62/hr | $1,186/mo |
| Yellowstone County | $31.52/hr | $1,015/mo |
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent?