Packers and Packagers, Hand in East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area

BLS metro-level wage data places Packers and Packagers, Hand pay in East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area at a median of $28,730 per year ($13.81/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $36,280, East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area pays 21% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 150 packers and packagers, hands are employed across the East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area MSA in SOC 53-7064.

The East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area pay distribution spans from $22,100 at the 10th percentile to $41,040 at the 90th, a 1.9× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $23,050 and the 75th at $34,220, so half of East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area-based packers and packagers, hands earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live, which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide MT data, and peer-metro comparisons, a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.