How Much Does a Rad Tech Make in Montana in 2026?

A typical Rad Tech in Montana earns about $37.05 per hour, or $77,070 per year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Based on that annual figure, pay works out to roughly $6,422 a month and $1,482 a week. Those hourly, monthly, and weekly numbers all describe the same typical paycheck, just measured on different timelines.

That figure sits about 4% below the national typical pay of $80,110 a year ($38.52 an hour), reflecting Montana's lower cost of living in many areas. Montana ranks 31st out of 51 states and jurisdictions on this measure. About 850 Rad Techs work across the state, a modest workforce compared with the 230,490 nationwide.

Entry-level positions in Montana typically offer around $26.80 an hour, or about $55,750 a year, according to the same wage data. Pay tends to move up toward the state's typical figure of $77,070 within the first few years on the job. New Rad Techs often start in this range regardless of the setting they choose.

Experienced Rad Techs in Montana often earn upwards of $39.49 an hour, or about $82,140 a year, and the top 10% of earners make over $91,650. The gap between entry-level and top pay runs $35,900 a year. Setting, years on the job, and the city where someone works all factor into where a given Rad Tech lands in that range.

Montana's typical Rad Tech pay climbed from $56,210 in 2019 to $77,070 in 2025, a gain of $20,860 over six years. That works out to a 37% rise in typical pay over the period. Each year in the data shows a steady increase, with no year posting a decline.

The national typical pay for Rad Techs rose 32% over roughly the same span, so Montana's climb outpaced the national trend. Pay in the state has moved up in every year of the data. For someone starting out now, that history points to steady growth, though it offers no guarantee about where pay goes next.

Pay runs highest in Bozeman, where Rad Techs typically earn $78,090 a year ($37.54 an hour), about 1% above the state figure. Helena follows closely at $77,570 a year, and Billings comes in at $77,070. All three sit close together, with less than $1,100 separating them.

Pay is lowest in Great Falls, at $71,270 a year, putting the full spread between the state's highest- and lowest-paying cities at $6,820. Billings holds the largest Rad Tech workforce among Montana's metro areas, with 180 jobs. Each of these figures covers the full metro area around that city, not just the city limits.

Montana's neighbors show a mixed picture. Idaho pays Rad Techs more, at $80,080 a year, about 4% above Montana's figure, and Wyoming runs slightly higher too, at $77,860. North Dakota and South Dakota both pay less, at $67,790 and $65,240, roughly 12% and 15% below Montana. Rad Tech licensure earned in one state can often be endorsed or transferred into a neighboring state without starting over.

Rad Techs in Montana typically earn $77,070 a year, a figure that has climbed 37% since 2019, outpacing the national trend over the same period. Readers weighing a move into the field, or into Montana specifically, can check the state licensing board's registry page for current requirements, and the city pages for local pay figures in places like Bozeman and Billings.