Lowest published bachelor’s starting pay → highest published maximum across degree lanes in the districts below. Years and eligibility vary.
Average salary
$59,305NEA 2024-25
Starting salary
$36,682NEA 2024-25
State minimum
Not publishedSee state terms
Districts sourced
10Official schedules
Montana teachers averaged $59,305 in 2024-25, and the average starting salary was $36,682, which NEA ranks last in the nation.
Montana teachers averaged $59,305 in 2024-25, and the average starting salary was $36,682, which NEA ranks last in the nation. The state sets no minimum salary schedule, so each district bargains its own pay. Among the largest districts, 2026-27 starting pay for a bachelor's degree ranges from about $40,000 in Corvallis to about $53,000 in Butte and Helena, and Billings pays up to $94,618 on its doctorate lane. Several districts, including Kalispell, Belgrade and Columbia Falls, have no master's lane and pay a stipend instead.
Butte School District No. 1 · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
East Helena Public Schools · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Bozeman Public Schools · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Great Falls Public Schools · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Corvallis School District #1 · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Belgrade School District · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Master’s and Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Columbia Falls School District No. 6 · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Master’s and Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Kalispell Public Schools · 2026-27 · Annual base salary by published step. Darker cells indicate higher pay; every cell shows its amount. Master’s and Doctorate pay not published in this schedule.
Step
Bachelor’s
1
$48,763
2
$49,494
3
$50,237
4
$50,991
5
$51,757
6
$52,534
7
$53,323
8
$54,125
9
$54,939
10
$55,765
11
$56,604
District pay rankings.
Ranked by highest published maximum across degree lanes. Annual base pay, by education level. Years and contract terms can differ; open each schedule before comparing.
Select a column heading to sort. Scroll the table horizontally for more columns. Missing values are marked “Not published”.
Largest districts included in this guide, sorted by published top pay. Starting pay is the bachelor’s entry rate; top pay is the highest published maximum across degree lanes.
━ Bachelor’s start▨ Top pay · all degree lanes
Billings Public Schools2026-27
BA start $50,852
Top $94,618
Helena Public Schools2026-27
BA start $52,275
Top $93,009
Butte School District No. 12026-27
BA start $53,201
Top $88,464
East Helena Public Schools2026-27
BA start $46,948
Top $75,511
Bozeman Public Schools2026-27
BA start $50,242
Top $75,212
Great Falls Public Schools2026-27
BA start $42,044
Top $73,787
Corvallis School District #12026-27
BA start $39,939
Top $72,784
Belgrade School District2026-27
BA start $45,450
Top $58,019
Columbia Falls School District No. 62026-27
BA start $46,274
Top $56,946
Kalispell Public Schools2026-27
BA start $48,763
Top $56,604
Missoula County Public Schools2026-27
Schedule not published
Annual base salary on a shared zero-based scale. Top pay can require advanced qualifications and many years of service. Missing values are not zero.View district chart data
Published district pay
District
Year
BA start
Top pay
Billings Public Schools
2026-27
$50,852
$94,618
Helena Public Schools
2026-27
$52,275
$93,009
Butte School District No. 1
2026-27
$53,201
$88,464
East Helena Public Schools
2026-27
$46,948
$75,511
Bozeman Public Schools
2026-27
$50,242
$75,212
Great Falls Public Schools
2026-27
$42,044
$73,787
Corvallis School District #1
2026-27
$39,939
$72,784
Belgrade School District
2026-27
$45,450
$58,019
Columbia Falls School District No. 6
2026-27
$46,274
$56,946
Kalispell Public Schools
2026-27
$48,763
$56,604
Missoula County Public Schools
2026-27
Not published
Not published
Experience & progression
How pay grows by step
Bachelor’s lane · 5 districts with numeric step data
Billings Public Schools2026-27
Great Falls Public Schools2026-27
Bozeman Public Schools2026-27
Helena Public Schools2026-27
Kalispell Public Schools2026-27
Lines connect published observations, not estimated salaries for missing steps. A step is not always a year of service. District placement rules and schedule years vary.View step progression data
Average pay describes the workforce; a minimum is a floor subject to state rules. These measures can cover different years and are not equivalent starting offers.View salary context data
State and national salary measures
Measure
Amount
Context
Montana average
$59,305
NEA 2024-25
State minimum
Not published
See state minimum terms below
National average
$74,495
Reporting year not published
State minimum salary
Montana has no statewide minimum teacher salary schedule; districts bargain pay locally. The state's TEACH Act incentive (expanded by the 2025 STARS Act) offers districts extra funding to raise starting pay, but it is an incentive, not a required minimum. The thresholds could not be read on an official OPI page on 2026-10-28 because the guidance links were removed. Great Falls' agreement describes STARS placement as '70% of the average teacher's pay or 11X QEP, whichever is higher'. NEA averages are for 2024-25. District size is the OPI FY2026 fall student count, with separate elementary and high school districts combined where they share one schedule.
Match the school year, degree lane and credited experience. The published maximum is not a promise of starting placement. Confirm contract days, supplements and eligibility in each district’s official schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find Montana district salary schedules?
Use the district comparison table on this page to open a district guide and its official salary schedule. Each source is linked with a verification date.
Does a master’s degree change the salary?
Check the master’s lane in the district’s published schedule. Degree supplements and placement rules vary; a missing value here does not mean there is no additional pay.
