Make a Montana pay stub online for records, contractors, employees, or small business pay documentation. Enter earnings, deductions, Montana tax lines and YTD values, then preview the paystub before you download the PDF.
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Estimated take-home pay, Montana, 2026
$1,625.95per biweekly check
$42,274.70 a year over 26 checks · $3,522.89 a month on average
Estimated take-home pay $1,625.95 per biweekly check in Montana, from gross pay of $2,000.00.
First stub free each year · the calculator is free, no account
An estimate from what you entered, using 2026 federal withholding, Social Security, Medicare and state income tax withholding for a standard Form W-4, plus the state’s disability or paid leave line where it has one. City, county and school district taxes are not included. Not tax advice. Montana paycheck calculator
Montana state withholding and net pay per biweekly check, after federal withholding, FICA and Montana withholding.
| Gross per check | Single | Married (joint) | Head of household |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,500 | State: $41.40 Net: $1,247.70 | State: $12.29 Net: $1,346.81 | State: $26.84 Net: $1,301.29 |
| $2,000 | State: $64.90 Net: $1,625.95 | State: $35.79 Net: $1,735.06 | State: $50.34 Net: $1,681.74 |
| $3,000 | State: $117.16 Net: $2,332.96 | State: $82.79 Net: $2,495.40 | State: $97.34 Net: $2,438.24 |
Scenario: 2026 withholding tables, biweekly pay, one state allowance or the standard W-4, no pre-tax deductions or local taxes. Your figure depends on your W-4 and pay.
Already announced by official sources. Your pay stubs use today's rates until each change starts.
A Montana pay stub is one of the simplest in the country: after the federal lines, state income tax is the only state deduction. Here is what each line means in 2026:
MT State Income Tax ("MT SIT", "MT W/H"). Montana has just two brackets in 2026: 4.7% on the first $47,500 of taxable income and 5.65% above that for single filers (MFJ 4.7% to $95,000; head of household to $71,250). The top rate dropped from 5.9% under 2025's HB 337.
Where your taxable income starts. Since 2024 Montana taxable income is your federal taxable income (MCA 15-30-2101). Montana has no standard deduction or personal exemption of its own — you get the federal $16,100 single standard deduction. From January 2026, Form MW-4 withholding uses the federal standard deduction for your federal filing status instead of the old Montana allowances.
No local tax line. Montana Department of Revenue withholding guidance covers state income tax only; no city or county income tax withholding appears in it.
What you will NOT see: a state disability or paid family leave deduction (none appears in Montana Revenue or Labor guidance), and no tip-credit adjustment — Montana allows no tip credit.
Plus the federal lines on every US stub: federal income tax, Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500 in 2026), and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% on wages over $200,000). From January 1, 2027: Social Security 6.2% up to $192,300.
| Item | 2026 value |
|---|---|
| State income tax | 4.7% to $47,500, 5.65% above (single, 2026) · top rate cut from 5.9% (HB 337) |
| Deduction | Federal $16,100 standard deduction — Montana taxable income starts from federal taxable income; no MT exemption |
| Withholding form | Form MW-4 (updated for 2026; uses your federal filing status) |
| Local income tax | None in Montana Revenue withholding guidance |
| Employee-paid state programs | None found in Montana Revenue or Labor guidance — no SDI or paid-leave line |
| Minimum wage | $10.85 (Jan 1, 2026, CPI-indexed) · tipped workers get the full $10.85 — no tip credit From January 1, 2027: $11.20 an hour |
| Pay timing | No later than 10 business days after wages are due; semimonthly presumed if no schedule (MCA 39-3-204) |
| Pay stub required? | Yes — itemized statement of every deduction with each payment (MCA 39-3-101) |
| Final paycheck | Fired/laid off: immediately (unless written policy) · quit: next payday or 15 days, whichever first (MCA 39-3-205) |
| 2027 scheduled | 4.7% to $65,000, 5.4% above (HB 337) |
Estimated for a single filer taking the standard deduction, including federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Montana state income tax (4.7%/5.65% after the federal $16,100 standard deduction). No local tax or employee-paid state program is included — none appears in Montana Revenue or Labor guidance:
| Gross pay | Est. net per year | Net biweekly | Net monthly | Effective tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $33,197 | $1,277 | $2,766 | 17.0% |
| $60,000 | $48,327 | $1,859 | $4,027 | 19.5% |
| $75,000 | $58,716 | $2,258 | $4,893 | 21.7% |
| $100,000 | $74,891 | $2,880 | $6,241 | 25.1% |
| State min wage, full-time ($10.85/hr) | $19,891 | $765 | $1,658 | 11.9% |
Where the money goes at $60,000: Montana tax is $2,063 — 3.4% of gross. After the $16,100 deduction your taxable income is $43,900, entirely inside the 4.7% bracket, so the 5.65% rate never touches you. Federal income tax and FICA take the other 16%.
When 5.65% kicks in: only on wages above about $63,600 (taxable income over $47,500). A Montana software developer at the state median ($121,990) pays about $5,532 in state tax.
Methodology: 2026 federal brackets and $16,100 standard deduction (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32), FICA per SSA, Montana brackets per MCA 15-30-2103 (2026) applied to federal taxable income (MCA 15-30-2101). Estimates only — your withholding depends on your W-4/MW-4, credits, and pre-tax benefits.
| Occupation | Median hourly | Median annual |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $41.00 | $85,280 |
| Software developer | $58.65 | $121,990 |
| Elementary school teacher | — | $57,530 |
| Truck driver (heavy) | $28.30 | $58,870 |
| Construction laborer | $23.96 | $49,830 |
| Customer service rep | $21.77 | $45,290 |
| Retail salesperson | $17.44 | $36,270 |
| Waiter / waitress (wages excluding tips) | $11.23 | $23,370 |
Montana's median hourly wage across all occupations is $23.43 — about 4% below the national median of $24.51. With a 4.7% rate on the first $47,500 of taxable income, most Montana workers pay a single flat-feeling rate on every taxable dollar.
Final paycheck if you are fired or laid off: immediately. MCA 39-3-205 makes all unpaid wages due "immediately upon separation" — unless your employer has a written personnel policy extending it to the next regular payday or 15 days, whichever comes first. If an employer alleges theft, it may hold back the value only with your written consent or a police report filed within 7 business days.
Final paycheck if you quit: the next regular payday for that pay period or 15 days after you leave, whichever comes first, through normal pay channels or by mail if you ask.
Pay timing: Montana sets no fixed frequency, but wages may not be held more than 10 business days after they are due (MCA 39-3-204). With no established schedule, pay is presumed semimonthly. Direct deposit requires your written or electronic consent and cannot be forced on you.
Is a pay stub required? Yes. MCA 39-3-101 requires every employer, with each payment, to give an itemized statement of money deducted for state and federal income tax, Social Security, and every other deduction with the amount of each. If nothing is deducted, the employer must still give a statement saying so.
Minimum wage: $10.85 an hour from January 1, 2026, adjusted every year by CPI and rounded to the nearest 5 cents. Montana allows no tip credit, meal credit or training wage, so tipped staff get the full $10.85 before tips. The only lower rate is $4.00 for small businesses not covered by federal law with gross annual sales of $110,000 or less.
Montana Department of Revenue withholding guidance covers state income tax only — no city or county income tax withholding appears in it, so the same state line applies statewide.
The Department of Labor & Industry lists no city or county minimum wages — the $10.85 state rate applies statewide, including to tipped workers.
| State | Est. net/year | Difference vs MT |
|---|---|---|
| Montana | $48,327 | — |
| Idaho | $48,063 | −$263 |
| Wyoming | $50,390 | +$2,063 |
| North Dakota | $50,390 | +$2,063 |
| South Dakota | $50,390 | +$2,063 |
Wyoming and South Dakota charge no state income tax, so a $60,000 earner there keeps about $2,063 more than in Montana.
Two brackets for single filers: 4.7% on the first $47,500 of taxable income and 5.65% above that. Taxable income starts from your federal taxable income, so the federal $16,100 standard deduction applies first. The top rate was 5.9% in 2025 and is scheduled to fall to 5.4% in 2027, with the 4.7% bracket widening to $65,000.
A single filer earning $60,000 keeps about $48,327 a year — roughly $1,859 per biweekly check, a 19.5% effective rate covering federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and about $2,063 of Montana income tax. No local tax or state program deduction is included.
Not its own. Since tax year 2024 Montana taxable income is federal taxable income, so you use the federal standard deduction — $16,100 for a single filer in 2026. Montana's old standard deduction and personal exemptions are gone, and 2026 MW-4 withholding follows your federal filing status.
No. Montana allows no tip credit, so tipped employees must be paid the full $10.85 an hour in 2026 before tips.
If you are fired or laid off, immediately — unless your employer has a written policy extending it to the next payday or 15 days, whichever comes first. If you quit, the next regular payday or 15 days, whichever comes first (MCA 39-3-205).
Yes. MCA 39-3-101 requires an itemized statement with every payment listing each deduction — state and federal income tax, Social Security and anything else — with the amount. Even a payment with no deductions needs a statement saying so.
Federal income tax, Social Security (6.2% to $184,500), Medicare (1.45%), and Montana income tax, plus any benefits you elect. Montana Revenue and Labor guidance shows no state disability or paid-leave deduction and no city or county income tax withholding.