Firm counts, employment, and wages for 40 small-business-typical industries reported in Montana by the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. Click any industry for a national comparison.
Sorted by establishment count. Location quotient (LQ) compares Montana's industry concentration to the national average — LQ > 1 means denser than national; LQ < 1 means thinner.
| Industry | Firms | Employment | Avg Pay | LQ | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-service restaurants | 1,070 | 20,388 | $26,167 | 0.76 | -5.7% |
| Offices of lawyers | 839 | 2,658 | $98,298 | 0.84 | -3.6% |
| Plumbing, heating & AC contractors | 808 | 5,270 | $70,725 | 1.25 | -3.0% |
| Engineering services | 798 | 4,274 | $111,503 | 1.51 | -1.2% |
| Landscaping services | 791 | 3,615 | $44,018 | 1.21 | -1.2% |
| Quick-service restaurants | 774 | 13,894 | $23,155 | 0.55 | -5.3% |
| Electrical contractors | 662 | 3,791 | $70,650 | 1.26 | -2.9% |
| Religious organizations | 659 | 3,185 | $21,997 | 4.77 | -6.9% |
| Other accounting services | 619 | 1,162 | $56,714 | 1.64 | +2.7% |
| Janitorial services | 563 | 3,176 | $25,643 | 1.28 | -8.3% |
| Child day care | 522 | 3,346 | $26,215 | 1.25 | -6.5% |
| Drinking places (bars) | 522 | 4,948 | $20,967 | 2.31 | -7.6% |
| Dental practices | 500 | 3,912 | $61,286 | 0.69 | -4.6% |
| General auto repair | 480 | 1,818 | $50,379 | 1.05 | -5.0% |
| CPA offices | 427 | 1,712 | $76,069 | 1.28 | -1.8% |
| Gas stations with convenience stores | 414 | 6,118 | $30,487 | 0.77 | -1.4% |
| Portfolio management & investment advice | 336 | 567 | $138,813 | 0.72 | -1.8% |
| Physical therapists | 284 | 1,548 | $50,897 | 1.04 | -4.7% |
| Other health practitioners | 255 | 727 | $47,468 | 1.23 | +5.4% |
| Supermarkets & grocery | 245 | 10,691 | $34,403 | 0.79 | -2.4% |
| Veterinary services | 238 | 2,401 | $49,191 | 1.26 | -0.4% |
| Chiropractors | 234 | 765 | $41,086 | 1.12 | -3.3% |
| Fitness & recreational sports centers | 217 | 2,736 | $16,753 | 0.91 | -1.8% |
| Beauty salons | 216 | 744 | $36,082 | 0.52 | -2.7% |
| Auto body & paint | 181 | 1,162 | $61,196 | 0.96 | -8.6% |
| Other general-merchandise retailers | 180 | 0 | $0 | 0.53 | +3.4% |
| Roofing contractors | 172 | 715 | $65,522 | 1.03 | -7.5% |
| Pet care (except veterinary) | 146 | 824 | $26,780 | 1.02 | +1.4% |
| All other miscellaneous retailers | 125 | 626 | $48,967 | 0.71 | -3.8% |
| Optometrists | 96 | 723 | $47,637 | 0.85 | -3.0% |
| Florists | 72 | 325 | $22,431 | 1.11 | +2.9% |
| Motor-vehicle parts wholesale | 70 | 488 | $61,752 | 0.89 | -2.8% |
| Other similar organizations | 63 | 175 | $48,720 | 0.77 | -6.0% |
| Auto glass replacement | 56 | 199 | $49,774 | 1.48 | +3.7% |
| Book retailers & news dealers | 37 | 272 | $26,931 | 0.89 | +19.4% |
| Convenience retailers | 30 | 136 | $26,948 | 0.16 | +0.0% |
| Drycleaning & laundry | 20 | 186 | $34,856 | 0.25 | -9.1% |
| All other auto repair & maintenance | 19 | 44 | $45,708 | 0.47 | +18.8% |
| Barber shops | 14 | 82 | $40,588 | 0.32 | +0.0% |
| Parking lots & garages | 7 | 78 | $33,920 | 0.17 | +0.0% |