Manufacturing Output and Firms
Total Manufacturing Output ($billions, 2018)
$3.08
(Percent share of total gross state product)
6.29%
Manufacturing Firms in Montana (2017)
1,291
Montana Manufacturing Facts
Manufacturers in Montana account for 6.29% of the total output in the state, employing 4.20% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $3.08 billion in 2018. In addition, there were an average of 20,000 manufacturing employees in Montana in 2019, with an average annual compensation of $53,451.15 in 2018.
Employment and Compensation
Manufacturing Employment (2019)
20,000
(Percent share of nonfarm employment)
4.20%
Average Annual Compensation (Manufacturing, 2018)
$53,451.15
(Nonfarm Businesses, 2018)
$36,476.49
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Montana Export Facts
Manufacturers help to drive Montana’s economy, with $1.18 billion in manufactured goods exports in 2019. That same year, $0.68 billion in exports was with our free trade agreement (FTA) partners. This helps create jobs in the state, and 23.50% of its employment stemmed from exports in 2011. Small businesses comprised 84.00% percent of all exporters in Montana.
Manufacturing Exports
Manufactured Goods Exports ($billions, 2019)
$1.18
(Percent share of total goods exports)
71.50%
Growth in Manufactured Goods Exports (2010–2019)
5.55%
U.S. Jobs Supported by Goods Exports (2016)
5,838
Employment from Manufacturing Exports (Export share of manufacturing jobs, 2011)
23.50%
Small Business Share of Total Exporters (2015)
84.00%
Manufactured Goods to Free Trade Agreement Partners ($billions, 2019)
$0.68
(Percent of total exports, 2019)
57.56%
Total Manufactured Goods Exports to Canada and Mexico (USMCA, 2019)
$0.57
Top Five Export Markets (Percent of total manufactured goods exports, 2019)
48.29%
Canada
44.38%
China
7.92%
Japan
5.25%
South Korea
5.11%
Taiwan
4.88%
Sources: International Trade Administration, U.S. Census Bureau
Figure 4
Additional Trade Facts
- The 20 U.S. FTA partners purchased 48.3% ($659.49 billion) of U.S. manufactured goods exports in 2019 – even though these countries represent only six percent of the world’s population and 10 percent of GDP.
- FTA countries: Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Peru, Singapore and South Korea.