Montana was 12.0% below the U.S. median for File Clerks. It ranked 42 of 51 state areas with a published annual median. Neither comparison adjusts for cost of living, benefits, experience, employer mix, or hours.
Price-level context
What the local median may buy
BEA's 2024 all-items price index for Montana was 94.6, or 5.4% below the national price level. Its housing index was 84.6.
National-price-dollar proxy
$40,541
WageScope divides the published File Clerks median by the BEA all-items index. This is a price-level comparison, not take-home pay, a personal budget, or a quality-of-life score.
Use the local pay range, same-source bench marks, job scale, price level, and survey care marks as separate facts. This guide stays tied to SOC 43-4071 and BLS area 30.
Questions, answered
File Clerks pay in Montana: common questions
What is the median wage for File Clerks in Montana?
The May 2025 BLS OEWS release published a median of $38,370 per year for File Clerks in Montana. This describes an occupation-area estimate, not a promised offer or an individual's pay.
Is File Clerks pay higher in Montana than nationally?
Montana's published median was 12.0% below the U.S. median for the same occupation and release.
Does the wage estimate adjust for cost of living in Montana?
No. The BLS wage is nominal. WageScope separately shows BEA's 2024 all-items Regional Price Parity of 94.6 and a transparent national-price-dollar proxy.
How many File Clerks jobs does BLS estimate in Montana?
BLS published an employment estimate of 410 wage and salary jobs for this exact row. It is a survey estimate, not a current opening count or forecast.
From market data to your evidence
Tailor for a real File Clerks job, not a generic wage number.
Pick an eligible listing, then MeritLog can help you prepare from experience you have confirmed. WageScope never turns a BLS estimate into a qualification or résumé claim.
The May 2025 BLS OEWS estimate puts the File Clerks median in Montana at $38,370 per year. Median means the middle of the published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. It is not a job offer. The row is tied to SOC 43-4071 and BLS area 30.
BLS lists 410 wage and salary jobs for this exact role-place row. That is a survey estimate. It is not a count of open posts. The local mean is $38,250 per year. Mean uses all wage values behind the estimate, so high or low values can move it away from the median.
Montana's File Clerks median is 12.0% below the U.S. File Clerks median of $43,600 on the same published median. The comparison uses the same SOC code and source period. It does not add price levels, taxes, benefits, hours, or a person's work history.
This page exists because the BLS artifact has one row for SOC 43-4071 and area 30. SOC 43-4071 names File Clerks. Area 30 names Montana. Both keys must match before WageScope can show or index this answer.
The 43-4071/30 row reports 410 wage and salary jobs, 0.81 jobs per 1,000 local jobs, and a 1.71 location quotient. Each value stays under the same two source keys.
For 43-4071/30, the annual median is $38,370 per year, while the matching mean is $38,250 per year. The row is published with annual and hourly fields. WageScope does not switch units to fill a blank.
Area 30 reports 511,580 wage and salary jobs across all covered occupations. Its annual mean is $60,880. Its annual median is $48,740. The employment RSE is 0%. The mean-wage RSE is 0.3%. These are facts for the whole area. They do not replace the 43-4071 row.
The all-jobs wage ladder in Montana runs from $29,390 at the 10th percentile to $100,610 at the 90th percentile. The 25th percentile is $37,210. The median is $48,740. The 75th percentile is $72,640. This is a place check, not a pay range for File Clerks.
The source rows below are the six largest detailed roles in the bounded area file. Each keeps its own SOC code. They help a reader spot-check area 30. They do not show related skills or a path into File Clerks.
1. Area 30, SOC 35-3023, Fast Food and Counter Workers: 14,960 jobs, $29,090 annual median, 29.24 jobs per 1,000, and 1.18 location quotient.
2. Area 30, SOC 41-2031, Retail Salespersons: 13,490 jobs, $36,270 annual median, 26.36 jobs per 1,000, and 1.05 location quotient.
3. Area 30, SOC 41-2011, Cashiers: 12,170 jobs, $34,190 annual median, 23.79 jobs per 1,000, and 1.2 location quotient.
4. Area 30, SOC 11-1021, General and Operations Managers: 11,840 jobs, $91,380 annual median, 23.15 jobs per 1,000, and 1.03 location quotient.
Pay range
Read the Montana wage ladder for File Clerks
The 10th percentile is $25,150 per year. The 25th percentile is $32,130 per year. The median is $38,370 per year. The 75th percentile is $44,550 per year. The 90th percentile is $49,660 per year.
A percentile is a rank point, not a career stage. The 10th percentile does not mean new-worker pay. The 90th percentile does not mean a wage that comes after a set number of years. The points show how the wage values spread in the source. They do not say why one job sits at one point.
The middle half runs from $32,130 per year to $44,550 per year. The 10th-to-90th span is $24,510. Use the full ladder when a job post sits far from the median.
Montana has a annual median of $38,370 per year. No exact state row is linked for this area. The U.S. row has $43,600 per year. WageScope keeps annual and hourly values apart.
A state comparison is not available for Montana. Montana is 12.0% below the United States on the same published median. A gap can reflect many things that are not in this row. WageScope reports the gap but does not name a cause.
The state and U.S. rows are bench marks, not replacements. They do not fill missing local facts. A state can hold many local labor markets. A national row can hold many states. Read the local row first, then use the broader rows to see scale.
Montana ranks 42 of 51 among states and territories with a published annual median for File Clerks. The list keeps one SOC code, one map type, one wage metric, and one BLS release. It skips rows without the matching median.
Rank 42 of 51 is not a place score. A small wage gap can move a row several spots. The rank does not add local prices, job count, concentration, commute, taxes, or work rules. Use it only to find where the published median falls inside this like-for-like set.
The nearby rows below are the closest ranks, not chosen cities. Their pay, job counts, and local shares can differ. Open a peer page before making a deeper comparison. A title and one number are not enough for a move or pay choice.
39. Oklahoma has a File Clerks median of $39,170 per year, 1,440 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 1.78.
40. Arkansas has a File Clerks median of $38,470 per year, 310 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 0.5.
41. Missouri has a File Clerks median of $38,400 per year, 1,000 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 0.72.
43. Alabama has a File Clerks median of $38,290 per year, 110 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 0.11.
44. New Mexico has a File Clerks median of $37,700 per year, 340 estimated jobs, and a location quotient of 0.83.
Pay leaders
Where File Clerks medians lead among states and territories
The rows below use the same SOC 43-4071, the same annual median, the same May 2025 BLS release, and the same state map type. Oregon has the highest published median in this set, at $50,660 per year. Montana sits at $38,370 per year.
A pay lead is one fact. It does not show the size of the job base. It does not show how common File Clerks is in the local mix. It also does not add local prices. The bullets keep the median, job count, and location quotient together so a high wage is not read as a full market score.
Use this list to choose a deeper pair, not to choose a place. Open the two local pages. Check the full wage ladder, the job scale, the survey care marks, and the exact BEA price row when present. A missing median stays out of this rank instead of becoming zero.
1. Oregon has a File Clerks median of $50,660 per year, or $12,290 above Montana. BLS lists 970 jobs there, compared with 410 in Montana. The location quotient is 1.04.
2. Hawaii has a File Clerks median of $50,630 per year, or $12,260 above Montana. BLS lists 100 jobs there, compared with 410 in Montana. The location quotient is 0.35.
3. Illinois has a File Clerks median of $49,920 per year, or $11,550 above Montana. BLS lists 3,780 jobs there, compared with 410 in Montana. The location quotient is 1.31.
Job-base leaders
Where BLS counts the most File Clerks jobs
Texas has the largest published state job estimate for File Clerks in this same-source set, at 11,340 jobs. Montana has 410. The count shows covered job scale, not open posts.
A large job base can have a lower median than a smaller one. It can also have a location quotient near or below 1. That is why WageScope does not blend job count, pay, and local share. Each field keeps its name and unit. The rows below let you compare all three without making one score.
Current MeritLog listings can add a dated view of employer-title matches. They do not change this May 2025 order. A place with few current cards can still have a large BLS job estimate. A place with several cards can still have a smaller estimate. The sources use different clocks and scopes.
1. Texas has 11,340 estimated File Clerks jobs, a gap of 10,930 jobs from Montana. Its median is $39,480 per year, or $1,110 above Montana. Its location quotient is 1.71.
2. California has 9,520 estimated File Clerks jobs, a gap of 9,110 jobs from Montana. Its median is $49,040 per year, or $10,670 above Montana. Its location quotient is 1.11.
3. Florida has 6,180 estimated File Clerks jobs, a gap of 5,770 jobs from Montana. Its median is $41,750 per year, or $3,380 above Montana. Its location quotient is 1.32.
Local-share leaders
Where File Clerks takes the largest share of local jobs
Oklahoma has the highest published location quotient in this state set, at 1.78. Montana has 1.71. A value above 1 means the role's local job share is larger than its national share.
A high quotient can come from a small local job base. It does not prove more jobs, more posts, faster growth, or higher pay. The bullets keep each quotient beside its BLS job count and median. This lets a reader see when the three measures point in different ways.
Use this list to ask where File Clerks is a large part of the local mix. Use the employment list to ask where BLS counts the most jobs. Use the pay list to ask where the median is highest. None of those lists decides where a person should work.
1. Oklahoma has a location quotient of 1.78, a gap of 0.07 from Montana. BLS lists 1,440 File Clerks jobs and a median of $39,170 per year, or $800 above Montana.
2. Montana has a location quotient of 1.71, a gap of 0.00 from Montana. BLS lists 410 File Clerks jobs and a median of $38,370 per year, or $0 above Montana.
3. Texas has a location quotient of 1.71, a gap of 0.00 from Montana. BLS lists 11,340 File Clerks jobs and a median of $39,480 per year, or $1,110 above Montana.
Job scale and share
How common File Clerks is in Montana
BLS lists 410 File Clerks jobs in Montana. It also lists 0.81 jobs per 1,000 local jobs. Jobs per 1,000 turns the count into a rate. It helps compare places of different size. It does not show open posts or hiring speed.
The location quotient is 1.71. A value of 1 means File Clerks has the same share of local jobs as it has across the nation. This row is higher than 1. The quotient is a share check, not a wage or a growth measure.
Read the three values as separate facts. Employment asks how many covered jobs BLS estimated. Jobs per 1,000 asks how much of the local job base the role takes. Location quotient asks how that share compares with the national share. None of them tells you how many posts are open today.
The all-occupations median in Montana is $48,740 per year. The File Clerks median is $38,370 per year. File Clerks is 21.3% below the local all-occupations median on the same published median. This compares one role with the full covered job mix.
The nearby role medians below come from the bounded detailed-role table for Montana. They are close by wage, not by task. A small wage gap does not mean two jobs need the same skill or lead to the same career. Official titles keep their own SOC codes and source rows.
Use the list to spot the local wage mix around File Clerks. Then open the role page you mean. A role can have a similar median and a very different job count or local share. The pay number alone cannot show fit, demand, or a path between jobs.
1. Cooks, Restaurant, SOC 35-2014, has a Montana median of $38,060 per year. BLS lists 7,580 jobs and a location quotient of 1.63.
2. Stockers and Order Fillers, SOC 53-7065, has a Montana median of $39,050 per year. BLS lists 8,900 jobs and a location quotient of 0.95.
3. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners, SOC 37-2011, has a Montana median of $37,110 per year. BLS lists 8,320 jobs and a location quotient of 1.14.
Area job mix
The largest detailed roles in Montana
Fast Food and Counter Workers is the largest detailed occupation in the bounded Montana table, at 14,960 jobs. File Clerks has 410 jobs in its exact role-place row. The two counts show where this role sits beside other large parts of the local job base.
The all-occupations job count is 511,580. The detailed list below is only a bounded view of that larger mix. It does not sum to every local job. It does not include a blank role as zero. It helps explain why one role's wage and job count should not stand in for the whole area.
A large role can have a lower median. A smaller role can have a higher one. Job count does not show current posts, job quality, or growth. Use the list to see local scale. Then keep File Clerks's own median, spread, and share in their own fields.
1. Fast Food and Counter Workers has 14,960 jobs in Montana, a gap of 14,550 from File Clerks. Its median is $29,090 per year, or $9,280 below File Clerks. Its location quotient is 1.18.
2. Retail Salespersons has 13,490 jobs in Montana, a gap of 13,080 from File Clerks. Its median is $36,270 per year, or $2,100 below File Clerks. Its location quotient is 1.05.
3. Cashiers has 12,170 jobs in Montana, a gap of 11,760 from File Clerks. Its median is $34,190 per year, or $4,180 below File Clerks. Its location quotient is 1.2.
Area pay mix
Published role medians around Montana
General and Operations Managers has the highest published median in the bounded Montana role table, at $91,380 per year. File Clerks has $38,370 per year. This puts the role beside a local pay range without blending the source rows.
The local all-occupations median is $48,740 per year. A role above that mark is not better. A role below it is not worse. The mark only shows where the role's published median sits against the full covered job mix. Job tasks, level, hours, and work setting are separate facts.
The bullets keep each SOC title, job count, median, and local share together. Use them to find a role page worth opening. Do not use a close median as proof that two roles share skills or that one is a path to the other.
1. General and Operations Managers has a median of $91,380 per year in Montana, or $53,010 above File Clerks. BLS lists 11,840 jobs, compared with 410 for File Clerks. Its location quotient is 1.03.
2. Registered Nurses has a median of $85,280 per year in Montana, or $46,910 above File Clerks. BLS lists 10,950 jobs, compared with 410 for File Clerks. Its location quotient is 0.99.
3. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers has a median of $76,910 per year in Montana, or $38,540 above File Clerks. BLS lists 4,350 jobs, compared with 410 for File Clerks. Its location quotient is 1.63.
Area role shares
Roles with the largest local share in Montana
Bartenders has the highest location quotient in the bounded Montana role table, at 2.16. File Clerks has 1.71. Both values compare a local job share with the matching national share.
A quotient above 1 means the role takes a larger share of local jobs than it does across the nation. It does not mean more jobs than every other role. It does not mean open posts, growth, or high pay. The job count and median beside each row answer those other narrow questions.
The local role-share mix can differ a lot from the pay mix. Read both lists. Then compare File Clerks with the same SOC code in another place. This keeps a broad area pattern from replacing the exact role-place row.
1. Bartenders has a location quotient of 2.16 in Montana, a gap of 0.45 from File Clerks. BLS lists 5,370 jobs and a median of $26,010 per year, or $12,360 below File Clerks.
2. Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners has a location quotient of 1.9 in Montana, a gap of 0.19 from File Clerks. BLS lists 5,380 jobs and a median of $35,740 per year, or $2,630 below File Clerks.
3. Carpenters has a location quotient of 1.83 in Montana, a gap of 0.12 from File Clerks. BLS lists 4,030 jobs and a median of $58,820 per year, or $20,450 above File Clerks.
Price-level view
What $38,370 may mean after the Montana price level
BEA's 2024 all-items price index for Montana is 94.6. The U.S. level is 100. The local level is 5.4% below that mark. This is a broad price comparison. It is not a personal budget.
WageScope divides the $38,370 File Clerks median by 94.6 divided by 100. The result is $40,541 in national-price dollars per year. This proxy keeps the math clear. It is not take-home pay and does not set a move target.
Housing is 84.6. Goods are 96.0. Utilities are 72.3. Other services are 98.7. The parts do not move as one. WageScope uses BEA's all-items index for the proxy and does not make its own basket.
The employment RSE for this File Clerks row is 8.7%. The mean-wage RSE is 2.1%. RSE means relative standard error. It is a survey precision flag. A smaller value often means less sampling uncertainty. It is not the chance that one person's pay is right or wrong.
The employment RSE belongs to the 410 job estimate. The mean-wage RSE belongs to the $38,250 mean. BLS does not give the same RSE field for the median or every percentile. WageScope does not move an RSE from one field to another.
A local row can change in a new release. A small role-place sample can also have more survey uncertainty than a broad national row. Keep the May 2025 date next to the value. Do not mix a newer job post with the BLS date as if both facts came from one clock.
The job block looks for strict employer-title matches to File Clerks. It uses a Montana place filter only when the public place list has an exact approved match. If that match is not safe, the page says the jobs are not narrowed to this place. A false negative is safer than showing a different role.
Each card keeps its employer, place, source, and seen date. Listings can change between visits while the survey figures stay tied to their release date. A listing range does not replace the $38,370 BLS median. The listing and survey answer different questions.
Open one listing. Check its level, work place, pay range, and needs. Then tailor with work facts you can support. Do not turn a wage, job count, rank, or price proxy into a résumé claim. The public page is read only. It does not save a job or start a draft on load.
What the File Clerks row for Montana does not claim
The row does not say what one person earns. It does not promise a job, offer, raise, or move result. It does not say why the local median differs from the U.S. row. It does not add tips, bonus pay, stock, benefits, taxes, or work hours unless those items are in the BLS wage measure.
The 410 job estimate is not a live opening count. The location quotient of 1.71 is not a growth score. Rank 42 of 51 is not a place score. The 94.6 price index is not a personal budget.
Use the row for one clear task. Read the May 2025 wage spread for SOC 43-4071 in BLS area 30. Compare the same metric with the state and U.S. rows. Add the separate 2024 price level when present. Inspect a dated job match. Then use confirmed work facts for a résumé.
Are the current job listings included in the BLS wage calculation?
No. MeritLog shows eligible live public-catalog listings separately, with their own source and observation date. Posted pay never changes the official BLS distribution.
5. Area 30, SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses: 10,950 jobs, $85,280 annual median, 21.41 jobs per 1,000, and 0.99 location quotient.
6. Area 30, SOC 31-1120, Home Health and Personal Care Aides: 10,400 jobs, $36,630 annual median, 20.32 jobs per 1,000, and 0.73 location quotient.
4. Alaska has a File Clerks median of $49,910 per year, or $11,540 above Montana. BLS lists 150 jobs there, compared with 410 in Montana. The location quotient is 0.99.
5. California has a File Clerks median of $49,040 per year, or $10,670 above Montana. BLS lists 9,520 jobs there, compared with 410 in Montana. The location quotient is 1.11.
6. Massachusetts has a File Clerks median of $48,310 per year, or $9,940 above Montana. BLS lists 600 jobs there, compared with 410 in Montana. The location quotient is 0.35.
7. Vermont has a File Clerks median of $47,540 per year, or $9,170 above Montana. BLS lists 70 jobs there, compared with 410 in Montana. The location quotient is 0.46.
8. Minnesota has a File Clerks median of $46,640 per year, or $8,270 above Montana. BLS lists 760 jobs there, compared with 410 in Montana. The location quotient is 0.55.
4. Illinois has 3,780 estimated File Clerks jobs, a gap of 3,370 jobs from Montana. Its median is $49,920 per year, or $11,550 above Montana. Its location quotient is 1.31.
5. Pennsylvania has 2,830 estimated File Clerks jobs, a gap of 2,420 jobs from Montana. Its median is $42,920 per year, or $4,550 above Montana. Its location quotient is 0.99.
6. New York has 2,590 estimated File Clerks jobs, a gap of 2,180 jobs from Montana. Its median is $44,340 per year, or $5,970 above Montana. Its location quotient is 0.57.
7. Georgia has 2,570 estimated File Clerks jobs, a gap of 2,160 jobs from Montana. Its median is $41,000 per year, or $2,630 above Montana. Its location quotient is 1.11.
8. New Jersey has 2,310 estimated File Clerks jobs, a gap of 1,900 jobs from Montana. Its median is $44,400 per year, or $6,030 above Montana. Its location quotient is 1.14.
4. Nebraska has a location quotient of 1.55, a gap of 0.16 from Montana. BLS lists 750 File Clerks jobs and a median of $40,640 per year, or $2,270 above Montana.
5. Nevada has a location quotient of 1.51, a gap of 0.20 from Montana. BLS lists 1,110 File Clerks jobs and a median of $44,150 per year, or $5,780 above Montana.
6. Arizona has a location quotient of 1.43, a gap of 0.28 from Montana. BLS lists 2,190 File Clerks jobs and a median of $43,690 per year, or $5,320 above Montana.
7. Tennessee has a location quotient of 1.33, a gap of 0.38 from Montana. BLS lists 2,060 File Clerks jobs and a median of $43,010 per year, or $4,640 above Montana.
8. Florida has a location quotient of 1.32, a gap of 0.39 from Montana. BLS lists 6,180 File Clerks jobs and a median of $41,750 per year, or $3,380 above Montana.
4. General and Operations Managers has 11,840 jobs in Montana, a gap of 11,430 from File Clerks. Its median is $91,380 per year, or $53,010 above File Clerks. Its location quotient is 1.03.
5. Registered Nurses has 10,950 jobs in Montana, a gap of 10,540 from File Clerks. Its median is $85,280 per year, or $46,910 above File Clerks. Its location quotient is 0.99.
6. Home Health and Personal Care Aides has 10,400 jobs in Montana, a gap of 9,990 from File Clerks. Its median is $36,630 per year, or $1,740 below File Clerks. Its location quotient is 0.73.
7. Office Clerks, General has 10,390 jobs in Montana, a gap of 9,980 from File Clerks. Its median is $46,480 per year, or $8,110 above File Clerks. Its location quotient is 1.28.
8. Stockers and Order Fillers has 8,900 jobs in Montana, a gap of 8,490 from File Clerks. Its median is $39,050 per year, or $680 above File Clerks. Its location quotient is 0.95.
4. Accountants and Auditors has a median of $75,810 per year in Montana, or $37,440 above File Clerks. BLS lists 4,730 jobs, compared with 410 for File Clerks. Its location quotient is 0.99.
5. Business Operations Specialists, All Other has a median of $74,990 per year in Montana, or $36,620 above File Clerks. BLS lists 4,760 jobs, compared with 410 for File Clerks. Its location quotient is 1.33.
6. First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers has a median of $62,550 per year in Montana, or $24,180 above File Clerks. BLS lists 4,030 jobs, compared with 410 for File Clerks. Its location quotient is 0.85.
7. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers has a median of $58,870 per year in Montana, or $20,500 above File Clerks. BLS lists 7,830 jobs, compared with 410 for File Clerks. Its location quotient is 1.15.
8. Carpenters has a median of $58,820 per year in Montana, or $20,450 above File Clerks. BLS lists 4,030 jobs, compared with 410 for File Clerks. Its location quotient is 1.83.
4. Cooks, Restaurant has a location quotient of 1.63 in Montana, a gap of 0.08 from File Clerks. BLS lists 7,580 jobs and a median of $38,060 per year, or $310 below File Clerks.
5. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers has a location quotient of 1.63 in Montana, a gap of 0.08 from File Clerks. BLS lists 4,350 jobs and a median of $76,910 per year, or $38,540 above File Clerks.
6. First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers has a location quotient of 1.58 in Montana, a gap of 0.13 from File Clerks. BLS lists 5,830 jobs and a median of $49,300 per year, or $10,930 above File Clerks.
7. Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks has a location quotient of 1.54 in Montana, a gap of 0.17 from File Clerks. BLS lists 6,980 jobs and a median of $47,270 per year, or $8,900 above File Clerks.
8. Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants has a location quotient of 1.39 in Montana, a gap of 0.32 from File Clerks. BLS lists 4,410 jobs and a median of $43,740 per year, or $5,370 above File Clerks.
Precise employer-title matches for File Clerks in Montana
Filtered through MeritLog's approved Montana place record and a strict employer-title rule. Listings are not classified by BLS and remain separate from BLS and BEA estimates.
