New grad RN jobs and nurse residency programs in Montana
Montana employs 10,950 registered nurses, and half of them earn more than $85,280 a year, $12,270 below the national median of $97,550. Montana is a small new-grad market, with 5 programs on our list (4 were taking applications on Oct 29, 2026), so it is worth looking at North Dakota or Wyoming as well.
- RNs employed
- 10,950
- Median RN pay
- $85,280
- 25th percentile
- $38.56/hr
- Programs we track
- 5
- Open on Oct 29, 2026
- 4
- In the compact
- Yes
- NCLEX pass rate, 2025
- 90.7%
- Work before the NCLEX
- Yes
Every Montana program we track is listed in the Vibe Nursing app.
What new grad nurses earn in Montana
A quarter of Montana RNs earn less than $38.56 an hour ($80,210 a year) and half earn more than $41.00. First-year offers tend to sit near the lower figure, since hospital pay scales usually rise with experience.
That puts Montana 30th of the 50 states and DC for median RN pay.
Pay is bunched together in Montana: only $2.44 an hour separates the 25th percentile from the median, a narrower gap than in most states.
| Metro area | RNs employed | Median pay | 25th percentile, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billings, MT | 2,550 | $82,300 | $38.56 |
| Missoula, MT | 1,570 | $82,160 | $38.51 |
| Bozeman, MT | 1,070 | $99,310 | $41.08 |
Where the RN jobs are
The Billings area employs 2,550 RNs, about 23% of the state's total.
Getting licensed in Montana
The Montana Board of Nursing licenses RNs in Montana.
Montana is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. If Montana is your primary state of residence, the license you earn after the NCLEX can be multistate, valid in every compact state. Nurses who live in another compact state can work in Montana on their home state's multistate license.
Every one of its neighboring states is in the compact too, so one license covers the whole region.
Working before you pass the NCLEX in Montana
Yes, with conditions. Montana has an examination temporary permit for RN exam applicants, requested with a sworn statement from your Montana employer. A licensed supervisor must be on the premises whenever you work.
Source: Montana Board of Nursing, Examination Temporary Permit Application, read October 2026. The permit makes it legal; whether you can use it depends on the employer, since not every hospital starts graduate nurses before they are licensed. Ask the recruiter.
29 of the 50 states and DC allow something like this, each with its own limits. See every state's rule.
NCLEX pass rate in Montana
Montana had one of the highest first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates in the country in 2025: 90.7% of the 572 U.S.-educated candidates who tested for a Montana license passed, 4.0 points above the national rate of 86.7%.
With 5 new-grad programs on our list, that is about 114 new test takers for each one, near the national figure of about 114.
The exam is the same everywhere; the rate tells you about the graduates who tested here, not about your own chances. See pass rates in every state.
Montana and its neighboring states
Among its neighboring states, Idaho pays RNs the most, a median of $92,460. North Dakota has the most new-grad programs on our list (13).
| State | Programs we track | Median RN pay | In the compact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 5 | $85,280 | Yes |
| North Dakota | 13 | $80,730 | Yes |
| Wyoming | 5 | $83,760 | Yes |
| South Dakota | 4 | $78,060 | Yes |
| Idaho | 2 | $92,460 | Yes |
Questions about Montana
How much do new grad nurses make in Montana?
The BLS does not separate new graduates. For all Montana RNs, the 25th percentile is $38.56 an hour and the median $41.00 (May 2025); first-year offers usually sit nearer $38.56.
How many nurse residency programs are in Montana?
Vibe Nursing tracks 5 new-grad programs at Montana hospitals: nurse residencies, and hospitals that hire new grads straight into RN jobs. On Oct 29, 2026, 4 were taking applications.
Can I work in Montana with a compact license?
Yes. Montana is a compact state, so a multistate license from your home compact state is valid here.
Can new grads work before passing the NCLEX in Montana?
Yes, with conditions. Montana has an examination temporary permit for RN exam applicants, requested with a sworn statement from your Montana employer. A licensed supervisor must be on the premises whenever you work.
What is the NCLEX pass rate in Montana?
90.7% in 2025: 519 of 572 first-time, U.S.-educated candidates passed the NCLEX-RN for Montana (NCSBN). The national rate was 86.7%.
What do RNs earn in the Billings area?
The median is $82,300 a year, and a quarter of RNs there earn under $38.56 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The area employs 2,550 RNs.
Sources
- Pay and jobs: BLS OEWS, May 2025, all registered nurses.
- Board: NCSBN directory. Compact: nursecompact.com. Both read October 2026.
- Working before the NCLEX: Montana Board of Nursing, Examination Temporary Permit Application, read October 2026.
- NCLEX: NCSBN, 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics, first-time U.S.-educated candidates. Portions copyrighted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. All rights reserved.
- Program counts: Vibe Nursing, Oct 29, 2026 (how we count).