What do the trades pay in Montana?
Median hourly pay, May 20251. Pick a trade for training, pay and the license.
Electrician
Wiring, panels and fixtures
$36.90/hrMontana median
Plumber
Water, drain and gas lines
$38.44/hrMontana median
HVAC tech
Heating, cooling and ductwork
$29.26/hrMontana median
Roofer
New roofs and repairs
$28.38/hrMontana median
General contractor
Runs the job and the crews
$36.98/hrMontana median, construction supervisors
Is there work in Montana?
Construction jobs in Montana, September 2026: 37,400, up 0.8% from a year earlier.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026New homes permitted in Montana, September 2026: 352, down 35.2% from a year earlier.
Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026People working in these five trades in Montana: 10,560.
BLS OEWS, May 2025Who licenses contractors in Montana?
Montana licenses general, electrical, plumbing and roofing contractors at the state level. HVAC contractors need no state license.2
- ElectricalState licenseMontana DLI State Electrical Board
- PlumbingState licenseMontana DLI Board of Plumbers
- HVACNo state license
- RoofingState licenseMontana DLI Business Standards
- General contractorState licenseMontana DLI Business Standards
Check a Montana contractor
Search the license on the board's own site.
Miss a date, lose the lien
File the lien with the county clerk and recorder of the county where the property is located no later than 90 days after your last furnishing of services or materials, or after the owner files a notice of completion. The lien states who you are, the property, the owner, who you contracted with, what you provided, the unpaid amount, first and last dates, and that notice of the right to claim a lien was given.3
Training near you
Apprentices are hired first and paid while they learn on the job and in class. Trade school comes first and charges tuition.
Where to train and find work near you
Union locals take apprenticeship applications and send members out to union contractors. Open-shop chapters run apprenticeship classes for the people their member contractors hire.
IBEW union locals
Electrical training centers (JATCs)
- LU 233, IBEW303 Irene St, Helena(406) 449-7173
- LU 768 IBEW303 Irene St, Helena(406) 449-7173
- MT Electrical JATC303 Irene St, Helena(406) 449-7173
IEC chapters (open shop)
- Montana IECP.O. Box 6955 Helena(406) 431-9836
UA union locals
- UA Local 30Billings(406) 252-9371
- UA Local 41Butte(406) 494-3051
- UA Local 459Missoula(406) 549-3479
Training
UA apprenticeships run through a joint committee of the local and union contractors. Call the local for the next application date.
PHCC chapters
No PHCC chapter lists an office in Montana. PHCC chapter finder
SMART union locals
- SMART Local 406Missoula
Sheet metal training centers
- Montana State JATC#4 Technology Way, Butte(406) 533-0112
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
No PHCC chapter lists an office in Montana. ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in Montana.
Carpenters union locals
- Carpenters Local 82Great Falls
Training
Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder
Home builder associations
- Montana Building Industry Association3345 Colton Dr Unit B, Helena(406) 442-4479
- HBA of BillingsPO Box 20461, Billings(406) 252-7533
- SW Montana BIA1716 W Main St Ste 8G, Bozeman(406) 585-8181
- HBA of Great Falls327 2nd St S, Great Falls(406) 452-4663
- Bitterroot Building Industry AssociationPO Box 1299, Hamilton(406) 375-9411
- Helena BIA3180 Dredge Dr Ste B, Helena(406) 449-3358
3 more chapters
- Flathead Building Assoc.40 2nd St E Ste 202, Kalispell(406) 752-2422
- Upper Yellowstone Building Industry Association1106 W Park, Livingston(406) 223-8166
- Missoula BIA1840 South Ave W, Missoula(406) 543-4423
Roofers union locals
No Roofers local has its office in Montana. Search the Roofers union website.
Training
Roofers locals run their apprenticeship through a joint committee with union contractors.
Contractor associations
The national trade group for roofing contractors is the National Roofing Contractors Association.
Trade schools: where to apply
- The University of MontanaMissoula, Montana, MissoulaHVAC programConstruction program
- Montana State University-Northern300 W 11th St, Havre
- Flathead Valley Community College777 Grandview Dr, KalispellElectrical program
- Montana State UniversityMontana State University, Bozeman
- Stone Child College8294 Upper Box Elder Road, Box Elder
- Highlands College of Montana Tech25 Basin Creek Rd, Butte
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Montana, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)
- Montana DLI Business Standards - Construction Contractor License (boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov)
- Montana lien law: MCA 71-3-535; 71-3-536 (mca.legmt.gov)
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (field of study and institution data) (collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026 (bls.gov)
- Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026 (census.gov)
- Montana DLI ERD (legacy registration / WC) (erd.dli.mt.gov)
- Montana DLI State Electrical Board (boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov)
- Montana DLI Board of Plumbers (boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov)