How Much Does an MRI Tech Make in Montana in 2026?

A typical MRI Tech in Montana earns about $41.80 per hour ($86,950 per year), per the latest government wage data (May 2025). That breaks down to roughly $7,246 a month and $1,672 a week, calculated from the annual figure. Full-time schedules are standard in this field. These figures cover pay before taxes and benefits.

Montana's typical pay sits 9% below the national figure of $95,480 a year, based on the same May 2025 data. That gap places Montana 33rd among the 50 states and D.C. for MRI Tech pay. About 150 MRI Techs work in Montana, a modest workforce reflecting the state's smaller population. Lower pay here tends to track a lower cost of living compared with higher-cost states.

Entry-level positions in Montana typically offer around $34.63 an hour, or about $72,030 a year. New MRI Techs often start near this figure while building experience with different scanner types and protocols. Pay tends to move toward the state's typical rate of $86,950 within the first several years on the job. Additional certifications can speed that progression.

Experienced MRI Techs in Montana often earn upwards of $47.88 an hour, with the top 10% making over $101,020 a year. That leaves a spread of $28,990 between entry-level and top-tier pay. Setting, years on the job, and city of employment all factor into where an individual tech lands within that range. Hospitals and larger imaging centers tend to pay more than smaller clinics.

Montana MRI Tech pay has climbed steadily over the past decade, rising from $60,590 in 2015 to $86,950 in 2025. That is a gain of $26,360, or 44%, over ten years. The increase was not perfectly steady; pay dipped in 2020 and 2021 before climbing again through 2022 and beyond. By 2023, pay had already surpassed $83,000.

Nationally, MRI Tech pay rose 41% over the same ten years, so Montana's climb slightly outpaced the country as a whole. Someone starting in this field today enters at a higher pay level than techs did a decade ago. That does not guarantee future increases at the same pace. Past growth reflects what happened, not a promise of what comes next.

Billings, Montana's only metro area with published MRI Tech data, reports a typical annual pay of $84,010 ($40.39 an hour), covering its full metro area. That figure sits about 3% below the statewide typical pay of $86,950. With just one metro area reported, MRI Tech pay across Montana looks fairly uniform rather than concentrated in a single higher-paying hub.

Billings is also the only city with reported figures, so it doubles as both the highest and lowest listed, and as the city with the largest MRI Tech workforce at 40 professionals. There is no meaningful city-to-city spread to report within the state's published data. As with any city comparison, a higher cost of living in larger metro areas typically accompanies higher pay, so a bigger paycheck does not always stretch further.

Among Montana's neighbors, Idaho pays MRI Techs the most, with a typical annual figure of $101,680, about 17% higher than Montana's rate. Wyoming also pays more, at $92,010, roughly 6% above Montana. North Dakota and South Dakota both pay less, at $80,610 and $77,010, or 7% and 11% below Montana's figure. MRI Tech licensure or certification earned in one state can often be transferred or endorsed into a neighboring state, easing a move across these borders.

MRI Techs in Montana typically earn $86,950 a year today, up 44% over the past decade from $60,590 in 2015. That growth reflects a field that has kept pace with, and slightly outpaced, national pay trends. Readers considering this path in Montana should check the state licensing or registry page for current requirements, and review city-level pages for local pay figures before deciding where to work.