Labor Market Pulse · Finance · October 2026
Finance Labor Market Report: MT NONMETROPOLITAN AREA — October 2026
Montana nonmetro jobs shrink while Controller pay jumps.
Nonmetro Montana counties lost about 1.5% of jobs in 2025 even as statewide unemployment held at 3.1%, while advertised Controller pay in the metro climbed to $98,776, a significant increase signaling intense competition for finance leadership talent.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Nonmetro Montana job change: -1.5% — 2025, while statewide unemployment held at 3.1%
- Montana unemployment rate: 3.1% — vs 4.2% national rate, September 2026
- Controller advertised pay, metro: $98,776 — up significantly vs national median $115,420
- Montana finance/insurance employment: 22,178 jobs — +1.2% y/y, but a September payroll loss sector
Key takeaways
Controller pay is moving while most other finance roles sit still.
Advertised Controller pay rose to a metro median of $98,776, a significant increase, while Senior Accountant and Financial Analyst pay held flat. Concentrated movement at the Controller level may reflect scarcity of oversight-level talent apart from broad-based finance wage inflation.
Nonmetro job losses point to a tight labor supply.
Nonmetro Montana counties lost roughly 1.5% of jobs in 2025 even as statewide unemployment sits at 3.1%, well below the national 4.2% rate. Current conditions suggest employers are pulling back on net new hiring amid a shortage of candidates to fill open roles.
Tax Specialist pay is diverging sharply from national movement.
Metro Tax Specialist pay held stable at $61,180 while the national median climbed to $69,556 — a significant increase. The widening gap may create retention exposure if remote-capable tax talent benchmarks against national pay levels.
Finance and insurance payrolls grew, but with September softness.
Statewide finance and insurance employment grew 1.2% to 22,178 jobs over the year, yet the same sector was among those losing payroll positions in September's monthly data. The mixed signal suggests underlying hiring momentum may be more fragile than annual figures imply.
Median advertised pay by role — MT NONMETROPOLITAN AREA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controller | $48,907 | $98,776 | $111,132 | Significant increase | $115,420 |
| Senior Accountant | $69,265 | $87,497 | $88,101 | Stable | $87,731 |
| Financial Analyst | $72,392 | $93,966 | $102,750 | Stable | $94,646 |
| Billing Specialist | $39,182 | $47,081 | $55,946 | Stable | $49,000 |
| Tax Specialist | $41,586 | $61,180 | $70,947 | Stable | $69,556 |
| Credit Analyst | $53,655 | $64,850 | $71,313 | Moderate increase | $71,397 |
| FP&A Manager | $97,991 | $122,250 | $137,444 | Stable | $130,000 |
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Local market conditions
Montana nonmetro counties shed jobs at roughly 1.5% in 2025 while the statewide unemployment rate held at a tight 3.1% in September, a combination consistent with employers reluctant to add headcount even as labor supply stays scarce. Finance and insurance employment statewide grew a modest 1.2% to 22,178 jobs even as payroll losses statewide concentrated in accommodation, food service, and finance and insurance sectors in September — signaling uneven demand across the finance function even within a growing state wage environment.
What it means
A 3.1% statewide unemployment rate alongside nonmetro job losses points to a labor market where finance leaders can neither assume easy hiring nor expect compensation costs to soften — vacancy risk during close and audit cycles remains elevated against a backdrop where CFO turnover nationally hit 18.3% in 2026. Advertised pay for Controller roles in this metro rose significantly to $98,776, a signal that employers are competing hard for scarce finance leadership talent even as broader nonmetro hiring stays cautious. Consider reviewing succession and retention plans for senior finance roles now, before a vacancy forces a rushed, premium-priced external search during a critical reporting period.
Looking ahead
Expected data release: Montana's October 2026 full labor market data releases November 20, and metro-level data for nonmetro areas follows on December 2. Finance leaders should expect revised context on whether September's payroll softness in finance and insurance persists.
Emerging pressure point: Nonmetro Montana lost jobs even as finance-sector wages continued outpacing national growth, a combination that can compress margins for employers slow to adjust headcount plans. Watch whether Q4 wage data shows finance and insurance pay cooling in response to sector-level payroll losses.
Early indicator: National Controller advertised pay rose moderately while the local Controller median jumped significantly to $98,776, narrowing the usual gap with national figures. A continued narrowing could signal nonmetro employers bidding more aggressively for scarce finance leadership.
Potential inflection point: Montana's minimum wage rises to $11.20 on January 1, 2027, a modest but real cost input for finance teams budgeting entry-level and support roles. Build this into Q1 2027 headcount cost planning now, ahead of a late-cycle adjustment.
Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Nonmetro Montana counties lost roughly 1.5% of jobs in 2025
- Montana Governor's Office — Montana September unemployment rate fell to 3.1%
- Crist|Kolder Associates — CFO turnover projected at 18.3% in 2026, highest since pandemic
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (QCEW) — Montana finance and insurance employment grew 1.2% to 22,178 jobs
- Montana Department of Labor & Industry — Montana minimum wage rises to $11.20 effective January 1, 2027
- Montana Department of Labor & Industry — Montana October full data release scheduled for November 20, 2026
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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