Agent income · BLS May 2025

How much do real estate agents make in Montana?

Real estate sales agents in Montana earned a median of $79,100 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bottom 10% earned less than $49,010 and the top 10% more than $194,630. That median ranks #7 of 48 states with published data and is 50% higher than the U.S. median of $52,830.

Median pay
$79,100
BLS May 2025
Bottom 10% earn under
$49,010
10th percentile
Top 10% earn over
$194,630
90th percentile
Payroll-employed agents
370
Excludes self-employed

What do real estate agents earn in Montana at each pay level?

Half of Montana's payroll-employed real estate agents earned more than $79,100 in May 2025 and half earned less. The middle 50% ranged from $67,590 to $91,170, while the gap between the 10th percentile ($49,010) and the 90th ($194,630) shows how widely commission income varies.

Real estate sales agent annual wages in Montana, BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay levelMontana
10th percentile (bottom 10%)$49,010
25th percentile$67,590
Median (50th)$79,100
75th percentile$91,170
90th percentile (top 10%)$194,630
Mean (average)$89,580

How does Montana agent pay compare with the U.S.?

Montana's $79,100 median agent pay ranks #7 of 48 states and DC with published BLS data, 50% higher than the national median of $52,830. At the low end, Montana's 10th percentile is $49,010 versus $32,970 nationally.

Montana vs. U.S. real estate agent pay, May 2025
MeasureMontanaU.S.
Median annual pay$79,100$52,830
10th percentile$49,010$32,970
90th percentile$194,630$124,000 (rounded)
Payroll employment370193,370

How many real estate agents work in Montana?

BLS counts about 370 real estate sales agents on Montana payrolls in May 2025, or 0.716 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. Real estate brokers there earned a $63,240 median. These counts exclude self-employed agents, who make up most of the profession, so the true number of active Montana agents is much higher.

What are home prices like in Montana’s real estate markets?

WealthyBud tracks 8 Montana housing markets. Their median listing prices have a midpoint of $665,550 as of September 2026, from $297,750 in Butte to $954,500 in Bozeman; 4 of 8 are below last year's asking price.

Largest tracked Montana housing markets by active listings — September 2026
MarketMedian list priceYoYDays on marketActive listings
Kalispell, MT$897,000-5.3%87963
Billings, MT$469,900-1.3%59896
Bozeman, MT$954,500+6.4%74840
Big Sky, MT$897,475+4.4%73768
Missoula, MT$735,000+13.1%75523
Helena, MT$596,100+3.3%63384

Every tracked market is on the Montana housing market hub.

How are real estate agents paid in Montana?

Agents in Montana are almost always paid on commission, a percentage of each sale price split with their brokerage, not a fixed salary. Earnings rise with deal volume and price point, so BLS wage percentiles describe a wide range rather than guaranteed pay.

Four factors drive what a Montana agent actually takes home:

  • Average sale price. A 2.5–3% commission on a $1M home dwarfs the same rate on a $250K home, so market and price tier matter more than hours worked.
  • Deal volume. Income scales linearly with closings; the top decile simply completes more transactions per year.
  • Commission split. New agents may keep 50–70% of each commission; established producers negotiate 80–100% splits or cap arrangements.
  • Niche and referrals. Repeat and referral business lowers acquisition cost and lifts effective hourly pay over time.

Thinking about becoming an agent? See how to get a real estate license in Montana, or compare every state in the agent salary by state table.

Montana real estate agent salary FAQ

What is the average real estate agent salary in Montana?
The median real estate sales agent in Montana earned $79,100 in May 2025 and the mean was $89,580, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Commission income varies widely: the bottom 10% earned under $49,010 and the top 10% over $194,630.
Do Montana real estate agents earn more than the national average?
Montana's $79,100 median is 50% higher than the U.S. median of $52,830 for real estate sales agents and ranks #7 of 48 states with published May 2025 data.
How much do new real estate agents make in Montana?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The closest official benchmark is the 10th percentile: 10% of payroll-employed Montana agents earned less than $49,010 in May 2025. First-year commission income depends on how many deals an agent closes.
How many real estate agents work in Montana?
BLS counts about 370 payroll-employed real estate sales agents in Montana (May 2025). Most agents are self-employed independent contractors and are not included, so the licensed agent count is far higher.
How are real estate agents paid in Montana?
Agents in Montana are almost always paid on commission, a share of each sale price split with their brokerage, rather than a salary. Income rises with deal volume and average sale price.
Wages are BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for wage-and-salary real estate sales agents in Montana. They exclude self-employed agents and may not reflect total commission income. n/a means BLS did not publish the value.

Marcus Bell Real Estate Market Analyst

Marcus Bell leads market and career research at WealthyBud, turning public housing and labor data into plain-English answers for investors and agents. He focuses on U.S. metro housing markets, agent economics and licensing.

Editorial persona: WealthyBud bylines are editorial personas, not real individuals. Pages are produced by the WealthyBud research team from the public data cited on each page.