14 of Montana’s Highest Paid State Employees

There has been much recent discussion of cutting government spending, with DOGE sniffing out potential financial waste in what appears to be every nook and cranny of the federal government's budget.

In Montana, our legislature is back in session. State representatives are hardly in it for the cash. They earn a measly $128 per day (or $16.88 per hour) for a seasonal job. They also receive a $206 per diem, which barely covers hotel, food, and travel expenses while in session. Legislation (HB13) to bump lawmakers' pay was introduced in 2025. Governor Greg Gianforte vetoed a similar pay-raise bill in 2023.

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On the other hand, Montana's top state leaders make decent cash.

Using publicly available data in the Book of the States, a compilation of information collected by the Council of State Governments (a nonprofit organization sponsored by state governments) Ballotpedia.com lists the top salaries of Montana's executive branch.

They note that the base salary does not include "benefits and other compensation used to determine total compensation figures." All but one position earns at least $100,000 annually, with an average pay of $108,000.

Here are the highest-paid public officials in Montana.