How does Montana work out the income tax taken from my paycheck?

The Department of Revenue prints a table for each pay period and filing status with three amounts: a first amount, a second amount and a base. Nothing is withheld on pay up to the first amount, 4.7% of the pay over it is withheld up to the second amount, and above that the base plus 5.65% of the pay over the second amount. A single employee paid every two weeks has a first amount of $619 and a second of $2,446. The $60,000 example is $2,307.69 a paycheck, so the Montana tax is 4.7% × ($2,307.69 − $619) = $79.37, withheld as $79.00.

How much is $60,000 a year after tax in Montana?

For a single employee paid every two weeks, a $60,000 salary takes home $1,859.07 a paycheck, or $48,335.88 a year. The year's deductions are $5,020.08 of federal income tax, $2,054.00 of Montana income tax, $3,720.08 of Social Security and $869.96 of Medicare. Montana takes no other payroll deduction from the employee.

How much is $20 an hour after tax in Montana?

At 40 hours a week and weekly pay, $20 an hour is $800.00 gross and $661.72 take-home a week for a single employee. That is $54.08 of federal income tax, $23.00 of Montana income tax, $49.60 of Social Security and $11.60 of Medicare. Switch to hourly in the calculator to type your own hours, including overtime.

What do I put on the Montana Form MW-4?

Your filing status and, if you want it, an extra amount to withhold. Montana no longer uses its own allowances, its personal and dependent exemptions or its standard and itemized deductions to work out withholding. The tables use the federal standard deduction for the status you pick: Single or Married Filing Separately, Married Filing Jointly or Qualifying Surviving Spouse, or Head of Household. On the $60,000 example that is $79.00 withheld as a single employee, $50.00 as a married couple with one earner and $65.00 as a head of household. The Department recommends a new MW-4 every year and after any change in income or household.

Why does a married couple with two jobs have more withheld?

Line 2 of the MW-4 is for a married employee whose spouse also works. It tells the employer to use the Single table, which halves the standard deduction and the 4.7% step, so each job withholds as if it were the only one. On the $60,000 example that is $79.00 instead of $50.00. This is the setting the Form W-4 Step 2 box stands for in the calculator.

How does Montana tax a bonus?

The Department says supplemental wages, such as commissions, bonuses and overtime, are taxed on the total of the regular and supplemental pay. When a bonus is paid separately, the employer can withhold on the bonus added to the regular pay of the current period, on the bonus added to the regular pay of the previous period in the same year, or a flat 5% of the bonus. This calculator treats all pay as regular pay, and the bonus tax calculator works out the bonus case.

What does a 401(k) do to my Montana paycheck?

It lowers the tax, because the calculator takes a 401(k) deferral out of the pay before it looks up the table. Putting 6% of a $60,000 salary into a 401(k) ($138.46 a paycheck) cuts Montana withholding by $6.00 and take-home pay by only $115.84. The Department's guide exempts employee contributions to tax-sheltered annuity and deferred compensation plans from withholding to the extent they are not part of federal adjusted gross income, and Social Security and Medicare are still figured on the full pay.

I live in North Dakota and work in Montana. Does Montana tax my pay?

No. Under an agreement between the two states, North Dakota residents are not taxed on wages earned in Montana, and the employer does not have to withhold Montana tax. The employee ticks line 5 of the MW-4 to claim it. A nonresident who works in Montana for fewer than 30 days and works in more than one state is also not withheld on, but an employee who works only in Montana is.

Who pays unemployment tax in Montana, and how much is it?

The employer does, to the Department of Labor & Industry, and nothing comes out of your paycheck for it. A new employer's 2026 rate depends on its industry, from 1.00% to 2.00%, and this page uses 1.1%, the rate for services. It applies to the first $47,300 of each employee's pay, which is 80% of the state's average annual wage, and every employer also pays a 0.18% Administrative Fund Tax on the same pay. For an employee paid $60,000 that is $520.30 and $85.14 a year.

Montana Paycheck Calculator

Last updated October 22, 2026FreeNo signupFormula shown

Enter your pay, how often you are paid, the filing status on your Form MW-4 and the answers on your Form W-4, and this Montana paycheck calculator shows your 2026 take-home pay. It follows the Department of Revenue's formula, nothing on the first part of pay, 4.7% above it and 5.65% above a second amount, and works out the employer's side of the bill under it.

State

Montana

Another state? Pick any of the 50 states and DC.

I'm paid

Yearly salary (USD)

Pay frequency

Filing status on Form W-4

Form W-4 steps 2 to 4

Step 2 box is checked

Two jobs with similar pay, or both spouses work. Montana reads this as line 2 of Form MW-4, married with both spouses working, which uses the Single table.

Children under 17

Step 3: $2,200 each.

Other dependents

Step 3: $500 each.

Other income per year

Step 4(a).

Deductions per year

Step 4(b).

Extra withholding each paycheck (USD)

Step 4(c).

401(k), % of pay

2026 limit $24,500.

Health premiums per paycheck

Pre-tax.

HSA per paycheck

2026 limit $8,750.

Take-home pay per paycheck

$1,859.07

$2,307.69 gross · $448.62 withheld (19.4%)

Where this paycheck goes

Gross pay: $2,307.69
Federal income tax: - $193.08
Social Security6.2%: - $143.08
Medicare1.45%: - $33.46
Additional Medicare0.9%: - $0.00
Montana income tax: - $79.00
401(k): - $0.00
Health premiums: - $0.00
HSA: - $0.00

Take-home pay$1,859.07

Over the year, 26 paychecks

Gross pay: $60,000
Taxes: - $11,664
Pre-tax deductions: - $0
Share kept: 80.6%

Take-home pay$48,336

Of every $100 of gross pay, $81 is take-home.

Federal income tax$5,020 · 8.4%
Social Security$3,720 · 6.2%
Medicare$870 · 1.4%
Montana income tax$2,054 · 3.4%
Take-home pay$48,336 · 80.6%

Take-home pay rises with every extra dollar of salary.

Gross payTake-home pay

This pay costs the employer $65,237 a year, $2,509.13 each pay period.

What the employer adds, per year

Employer Social Security6.2% to $184,500: $3,720
Employer Medicare1.45%: $870
Federal unemployment (FUTA)0.6% of the first $7,000: $42
Montana unemployment1.1% of the first $47,300: $520
Montana Administrative Fund Tax0.18% of the first $47,300: $85

Employer taxes$5,237

Total cost of the employee

Gross pay: $60,000
Employer taxes: + $5,237
Per pay period: $2,509.13

Per year$65,237

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Montana withholds nothing on the first part of pay, 4.7% above it and 5.65% above a second amount.

The Department of Revenue prints a first amount, a second amount and a base for every pay period and filing status. The first amount is the federal standard deduction spread over the paychecks of the year, $619 every two weeks for a single employee, and the second is where the 4.7% step ends and the 5.65% step starts, $2,446. House Bill 337 lowered the top rate from 5.9% to 5.65% on January 1, 2026. The amount is rounded to the nearest dollar.

A $60,000 Montana salary takes home $1,859.07 every two weeks.

The calculator opens on this case: a single employee on a standard Form W-4, paid every two weeks, with no pre-tax deductions.

Gross pay: $60,000 ÷ 26 = $2,307.69
Federal income tax: $193.08
Montana income tax: 4.7% × ($2,307.69 − $619) = $79.37, withheld as $79.00
Social Security: 6.2% × $2,307.69 = $143.08; Medicare: 1.45% = $33.46
Take-home pay: $1,859.07 a paycheck, $48,335.88 a year

Of $60,000 gross, $48,336 reaches the bank account.

Federal income tax$5,020 · 8.4%
Social Security$3,720 · 6.2%
Medicare$870 · 1.4%
Montana income tax$2,054 · 3.4%
Take-home pay$48,336 · 80.6%

Each paycheck: $1,859.07Kept: 80.6%

A single employee on a $60,000 salary, paid every two weeks. Invented example. Each tax is rounded to the cent in every paycheck, as payroll does.

The filing status on Form MW-4 changes the Montana tax from $50.00 to $79.00 on the same pay.

A married couple with one earner has a first amount of $1,238 every two weeks, twice the single amount, so the same $60,000 has $50.00 withheld. A head of household has $65.00. When a married employee ticks line 2 because the spouse works too, the Single table applies and the withholding goes back to $79.00.

The status on the MW-4 sets the Montana tax of a biweekly paycheck, from $50.00 to $79.00.

Single$79.00
Head of household$65.00
Married, one earner$50.00
Married, both spouses work$79.00

Invented example: a $60,000 salary paid every two weeks, no pre-tax deductions. The federal Form W-4 status changes along with the choice.

The 4.7% step covers pay up to $63,596 a year for a single employee, and 5.65% applies above it.

At $2,446 a paycheck the Montana tax for a single employee is $85.87, and every dollar above that adds 5.65 cents instead of 4.7. A $100,000 salary is $3,846.15 a paycheck, so its tax is $86 + 5.65% × ($3,846.15 − $2,446) = $165.11, withheld as $165.00. Over the year that is $4,290.00 for $100,000, $7,124.00 for $150,000 and $12,766.00 for $250,000.

The share of pay Montana withholds climbs slowly toward 5.65%.

$20,000 a year0.91% of pay, $182
$40,000 a year2.80% of pay, $1,118
$60,000 a year3.42% of pay, $2,054
$100,000 a year4.29% of pay, $4,290
$150,000 a year4.75% of pay, $7,124
$250,000 a year5.11% of pay, $12,766

Invented salaries, single, paid every two weeks, no pre-tax deductions.

Montana no longer has allowances, so a form from before 2024 may be taking too little.

The Department changed the formula in 2024 and again for 2026. Employees who have not filled in a new MW-4 since 2023 may not have enough Montana tax withheld, and it recommends a new one every year. North Dakota residents who work in Montana are not taxed by it, and a nonresident who works in Montana for fewer than 30 days and in more than one state is not withheld on.

A 401(k) lowers Montana withholding by $6.00 a paycheck.

A 401(k) deferral of 6% on the $60,000 example is $138.46 a paycheck. The calculator takes it out of the pay before it looks up the table, so federal and Montana withholding both fall and take-home pay falls by only $115.84. Social Security and Medicare still apply to the deferral.

A 6% 401(k) lowers federal tax by $16.62 and Montana tax by $6.00 a paycheck.

Federal tax, no 401(k)$193.08
Federal tax, 6% 401(k)$176.46
Montana tax, no 401(k)$79.00
Montana tax, 6% 401(k)$73.00

Invented example: a $60,000 salary, single, paid every two weeks. 6% of pay is $138.46 a paycheck.

Hiring that employee costs $65,237 a year in Montana.

On top of the $60,000, the employer matches Social Security and Medicare at 6.2% and 1.45%, which is $4,590. It pays federal unemployment tax of 0.6% on the first $7,000, which is $42. A new Montana employer in the services industry pays unemployment tax at 1.1% on the first $47,300 of pay, which is $520.30, plus the Administrative Fund Tax of 0.18% on the same pay, $85.14. The employee pays none of these.

On $60,000 of pay, the employer owes $5,237 more in taxes.

Employer Social Security$3,720
Employer Medicare$870
Montana unemployment$520
Montana Administrative Fund Tax$85
Federal unemployment (FUTA)$42

An employee on a $60,000 salary. Montana unemployment is the 2026 new-employer rate of 1.1% on the first $47,300.

Take-home pay in Montana runs from $33,202 on $40,000 to $106,667 on $150,000.

For a single employee, paid every two weeks. At $100,000 the year's take-home is $74,890. For the neighbor to the east, see the North Dakota paycheck calculator.

Take-home pay in Montana for a single employee on a standard Form W-4, paid every two weeks, with no pre-tax deductions. Montana taxes are its income tax.
Salary	Federal tax	Social Security and Medicare	Montana taxes	Take-home a year	Every two weeks
$40,000	$2,620	$3,060	$1,118	$33,202	$1,277.00
$50,000	$3,820	$3,825	$1,586	$40,769	$1,568.05
$60,000	$5,020	$4,590	$2,054	$48,336	$1,859.07
$75,000	$7,670	$5,738	$2,886	$58,706	$2,257.94
$100,000	$13,170	$7,650	$4,290	$74,890	$2,880.38
$150,000	$24,734	$11,475	$7,124	$106,667	$4,102.58

Methodology & sources

The formula this calculator uses is shown in full above, and every assumption is an input you control. There are no hidden industry presets. All math runs in your browser; nothing you enter is stored or sent to a server. For the reasoning behind the formula and its edge cases, see:

Frequently asked questions

How does Montana work out the income tax taken from my paycheck?: The Department of Revenue prints a table for each pay period and filing status with three amounts: a first amount, a second amount and a base. Nothing is withheld on pay up to the first amount, 4.7% of the pay over it is withheld up to the second amount, and above that the base plus 5.65% of the pay over the second amount. A single employee paid every two weeks has a first amount of $619 and a second of $2,446. The $60,000 example is $2,307.69 a paycheck, so the Montana tax is 4.7% × ($2,307.69 − $619) = $79.37, withheld as $79.00.
How much is $60,000 a year after tax in Montana?: For a single employee paid every two weeks, a $60,000 salary takes home $1,859.07 a paycheck, or $48,335.88 a year. The year's deductions are $5,020.08 of federal income tax, $2,054.00 of Montana income tax, $3,720.08 of Social Security and $869.96 of Medicare. Montana takes no other payroll deduction from the employee.
How much is $20 an hour after tax in Montana?: At 40 hours a week and weekly pay, $20 an hour is $800.00 gross and $661.72 take-home a week for a single employee. That is $54.08 of federal income tax, $23.00 of Montana income tax, $49.60 of Social Security and $11.60 of Medicare. Switch to hourly in the calculator to type your own hours, including overtime.
What do I put on the Montana Form MW-4?: Your filing status and, if you want it, an extra amount to withhold. Montana no longer uses its own allowances, its personal and dependent exemptions or its standard and itemized deductions to work out withholding. The tables use the federal standard deduction for the status you pick: Single or Married Filing Separately, Married Filing Jointly or Qualifying Surviving Spouse, or Head of Household. On the $60,000 example that is $79.00 withheld as a single employee, $50.00 as a married couple with one earner and $65.00 as a head of household. The Department recommends a new MW-4 every year and after any change in income or household.
Why does a married couple with two jobs have more withheld?: Line 2 of the MW-4 is for a married employee whose spouse also works. It tells the employer to use the Single table, which halves the standard deduction and the 4.7% step, so each job withholds as if it were the only one. On the $60,000 example that is $79.00 instead of $50.00. This is the setting the Form W-4 Step 2 box stands for in the calculator.
How does Montana tax a bonus?: The Department says supplemental wages, such as commissions, bonuses and overtime, are taxed on the total of the regular and supplemental pay. When a bonus is paid separately, the employer can withhold on the bonus added to the regular pay of the current period, on the bonus added to the regular pay of the previous period in the same year, or a flat 5% of the bonus. This calculator treats all pay as regular pay, and the bonus tax calculator works out the bonus case.
What does a 401(k) do to my Montana paycheck?: It lowers the tax, because the calculator takes a 401(k) deferral out of the pay before it looks up the table. Putting 6% of a $60,000 salary into a 401(k) ($138.46 a paycheck) cuts Montana withholding by $6.00 and take-home pay by only $115.84. The Department's guide exempts employee contributions to tax-sheltered annuity and deferred compensation plans from withholding to the extent they are not part of federal adjusted gross income, and Social Security and Medicare are still figured on the full pay.
I live in North Dakota and work in Montana. Does Montana tax my pay?: No. Under an agreement between the two states, North Dakota residents are not taxed on wages earned in Montana, and the employer does not have to withhold Montana tax. The employee ticks line 5 of the MW-4 to claim it. A nonresident who works in Montana for fewer than 30 days and works in more than one state is also not withheld on, but an employee who works only in Montana is.
Who pays unemployment tax in Montana, and how much is it?: The employer does, to the Department of Labor & Industry, and nothing comes out of your paycheck for it. A new employer's 2026 rate depends on its industry, from 1.00% to 2.00%, and this page uses 1.1%, the rate for services. It applies to the first $47,300 of each employee's pay, which is 80% of the state's average annual wage, and every employer also pays a 0.18% Administrative Fund Tax on the same pay. For an employee paid $60,000 that is $520.30 and $85.14 a year.

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