Helena, MT metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Helena, MT?

In the Helena, MT metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $28,330 a year ($13.62 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,060 of these jobs there. That is 49% below the $55,040 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,680 and $36,560; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Montana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,365 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Helena, MT at a glance

Median salary

$28,330$13.62 per hour · $2,361 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,680$10.91/hr
25th percentile$24,020$11.55/hr
75th percentile$34,140$16.42/hr
90th percentile$36,560$17.58/hr
Jobs in this metro1,060Location quotient 0.96 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here49% belowAll-jobs median $55,040
Against Montana3% belowStatewide median $29,090
Against the U.S.9% belowNational median $31,200

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Fast food or counter worker salary in Helena, MT after taxes

$28,330
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,330
Net 86%
Fed 4%
MT 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,365After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,030Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$937Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,223 / yr
Montana state income tax$575 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,167 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Helena, MT, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Helena, MT metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Helena, MT metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MT)
10th percentile$10.91/hr$1,890$22,680$19,978
25th percentile$11.55/hr$2,002$24,020$21,018
MedianMedian$13.62/hr$2,361$28,330$24,365
75th percentile$16.42/hr$2,845$34,140$28,764
90th percentile$17.58/hr$3,047$36,560$30,594

Is $28,330 a good salary in Helena, MT?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for fast food or counter workers next to both.

Median household income$78,528Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)95.74.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household36.1%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Do fast food or counter workers pay tax on tips?

Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Fast food or counter worker pay in Helena, MT: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Helena, MT?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Helena, MT metro area was $28,330 in May 2025, about $2,361 a month or $13.62 an hour. Statewide, the Montana median for this job is $29,090, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Helena, MT?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Helena, MT was $13.62 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.91 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.58.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Helena, MT?

BLS estimated 1,060 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 23.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.96 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for fast food or counter workers in Helena, MT?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Helena, MT run from $22,680 at the 10th percentile to $24,020 at the 25th, $34,140 at the 75th, and $36,560 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do fast food or counter workers take home after taxes in Helena, MT?

On a median gross salary of $28,330, an estimated $24,365 lands in net take-home pay per year ($937 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Montana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,965 (an effective rate of 14%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Helena, MT?

On the median annual salary of $28,330, gross monthly income is $2,361. After federal, FICA, and Montana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,030 per month (or $937 every two weeks).

Is $28,330 a good salary in Helena, MT?

At $28,330, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 36.1% of the Helena, MT median household income ($78,528). It is 49% below the $55,040 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.7, so prices here run 4.3% below the U.S. average.