New Minimum Wage in Montana Will Rank Among the Highest in America

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry recently announced that the state's minimum wage will rise another 15 cents per hour next year.  Starting on January 1st, the new minimum wage will be $8.05.  The increase now ranks Montana among the top 10 minimum wages in the United States.

Of course, there's been a lot of talk lately about raising the federal minimum wage.  Here in Montana, that issue was addressed in 2006, when voters approved a measure which ties the state's minimum wage to increases in the Consumer Price Index.

Of the states with the top 10 minimum wages in the nation, Montana has the lowest cost of living rate.  Montana has the 27th highest cost of living in the country, according to the Council for Community & Economic Research. And there's a bunch of jobs out there.  If you're willing to work and you can pass a drug test, you can find a job in Billings.

Sure, it's tough to make ends meat on minimum wage.  But entry level employees here in Montana have it better than any other place in the country.