Jobs, pay and daily life in Butte-Silver Bow, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Butte-Silver Bow is a city in Montana with 35,052 residents. The median household earns $61,857 a year and the median rent is $856 a month, which is 16.6% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Butte-Silver Bow compares. Among the 30 largest places in Montana, Butte-Silver Bow is #5 by population, #4 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #25 for household income (#1 = highest), #21 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Silver Bow County, is #17 of 56 counties for average pay ($55,167).
Butte-Silver Bow has 35,052 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 3.1% of the population of Montana. It covers 716 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 49 people per square mile. The median age is 40.6, about the same as the state median (40.6 against 40.4).
The median gross rent is $856 a month (rent plus utilities), 21% below the state median ($856 against $1,081). Over a year that is 16.6% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $257,800, which is 4.2 times the median household income ($61,857). 70.7% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (70.7% against 69.2%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Silver Bow County was 2.9%. 60.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Silver Bow County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 76.6% drive alone, 0.8% use public transit, 2.5% walk, 7.6% work from home. 7.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 15% below the state average (7.0% against 8.2%).
28.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 20% below the state share (28.1% against 35.2%). 1.2% of residents were born outside the United States, 46% below the state share (1.2% against 2.3%). The poverty rate is 14.8%, 28% above the state rate (14.8% against 11.5%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 64°F (17.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 18°F (-7.8°C). About 528 mm (21 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (79 mm) and Jan the driest (28 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Anaconda-Deer Lodge County (27 miles, rent 19% lower); Helena (57 miles, rent 28% higher); Helena Valley West Central (60 miles, rent 55% higher); Helena Valley Southeast (62 miles, rent 29% higher). Rent differences are against Butte-Silver Bow; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Montana (253) →State guide: MontanaCountry guideSilver Bow CountyMontana rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 253 federal postings open in Montana (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 23.7% |
| Retail trade | 12.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.2% |
| Construction | 8.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.2% |
| Public administration | 6.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.3% |
| Other services | 5.0% |
| Manufacturing | 4.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 4.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 3.4% |
| Information | 1.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Butte-Silver Bow lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Bow County | 35,785 | $2,216 million | $61,929 | 16,507 | 1,484 | $55,167 | +0.7% | 2.9% | 17,193 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 2,851 | 25.1% | $56,272 | 1.20 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,310 | 20.4% | $22,580 | 1.54 |
| Retail trade | 1,913 | 16.9% | $42,510 | 1.16 |
| Manufacturing | 727 | 6.4% | $72,969 | 0.54 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 670 | 5.9% | $70,918 | 0.96 |
| Construction | 606 | 5.3% | $62,683 | 0.70 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 506 | 4.5% | $99,710 | 8.10 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 499 | 4.4% | $36,892 | 1.00 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 398 | 3.5% | $18,869 | 1.43 |
| Finance and insurance | 304 | 2.7% | $76,936 | 0.45 |
| Real estate and rental | 257 | 2.3% | $49,654 | 1.00 |
| Information | 143 | 1.3% | $77,444 | 0.46 |
| Educational services | 124 | 1.1% | $29,789 | 0.36 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 29 | 0.3% | $33,612 | 0.22 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 76.6% |
| Public transit | 0.8% |
| Walk | 2.5% |
| Work from home | 7.6% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,857 |
| Income per person | $36,035 |
| Median gross rent per month | $856 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.6% |
| Median home value | $257,800 |
| Homeowners | 70.7% |
| Poverty rate | 14.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 5.65%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 40.6 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 28.1% |
| Born abroad | 1.2% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 60.5% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -7.8 | 18 | 28 |
| Feb | -7.0 | 19 | 32 |
| Mar | -1.9 | 29 | 40 |
| Apr | 1.8 | 35 | 58 |
| May | 7.2 | 45 | 74 |
| Jun | 12.1 | 54 | 79 |
| Jul | 17.8 | 64 | 33 |
| Aug | 16.5 | 62 | 37 |
| Sep | 10.9 | 52 | 41 |
| Oct | 3.2 | 38 | 39 |
| Nov | -2.8 | 27 | 34 |
| Dec | -7.8 | 18 | 33 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaconda-Deer Lodge County | MT | 27 mi | 9,597 | $57,527 | $696 |
| Helena | MT | 57 mi | 33,639 | $71,036 | $1,092 |
| Helena Valley West Central | MT | 60 mi | 8,056 | $90,082 | $1,327 |
| Helena Valley Southeast | MT | 62 mi | 9,108 | $74,075 | $1,106 |
| Helena Valley Northwest | MT | 64 mi | 5,183 | $100,605 | $1,603 |
| Helena Valley Northeast | MT | 66 mi | 4,659 | $140,517 | n/a |
| Belgrade | MT | 72 mi | 11,872 | $97,328 | $1,877 |
| Four Corners | MT | 73 mi | 5,791 | $100,917 | $1,338 |
| Hamilton | MT | 76 mi | 5,101 | $49,204 | $947 |
| Bozeman | MT | 79 mi | 56,114 | $85,747 | $1,717 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
35,052 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$856 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.6% of the median household income.
$61,857 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.9% (BLS county, Silver Bow County (latest month 2026M09)).
Montana. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.