Fence Installers in the Helena area earn a median of $48,170 a year, 0% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #29 of 51 metros for fence installer salaries across the U.S..
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Billings.
It's one of 2 Montana metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide fence installer pay.
Fence Installer pay in Helena at a glance
- Fence installers in the Helena, MT metro earn a median $48,170 a year ($23.16 an hour), #29 of 51 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $37,970 and $66,810.
- After local prices, that median buys what $50,348 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,311 a month, 33% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among fence installers in Helena.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for fence installers here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (3.1%) and the population is growing faster than most (+7.7% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 275 one-person site prep & specialty contracting businesses averaging $89,287 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $64/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Helena scorecard for fence installers Our calculation
Grades compare Helena with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($48,410).
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Helena Our calculation
Prices in Helena run 4% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $50,348 would in a typical place, ranking #21 of 51 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a Helena budget on this pay from this pay, local rent and prices.
What fence installers do
Erect and repair fences and fence gates, using hand and power tools.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Establish the location for a fence, and gather information needed to ensure that there are no electric cables or water lines in the area.
- Set metal or wooden posts in upright positions in postholes.
- Measure and lay out fence lines and mark posthole positions, following instructions, drawings, or specifications.
- Align posts, by lines or sighting, and verify vertical alignment of posts, using plumb bobs or spirit levels.
- Attach rails or tension wire along bottoms of posts to form fencing frames.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, fence installer jobs are projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 2,500 openings a year. About 21% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often fence installers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Montana Official source
The main state licensing office in Montana is the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (Business Standards). It can point you to the right license for fence installers.
Official Montana licensing site ↗
Requirements for fence installers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, fence installers have 118 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.4× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying MT metros for fence installers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| BillingsMONTANA · MT | $57,380 | $61,352 | 170 |
| HelenaMONTANA · MT | $48,170 | $50,348 | 40 |
See every metro in Montana.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Helena area's unemployment rate was 3.1% in 2025 (all workers, not just fence installers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.1% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Helena area is 22 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 8% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 72% drive alone, 0% take transit and 12% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Helena area's population grew 7.7% from 2020 to 2025 (90,182 → 97,153), ranking #56 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +7,578) account for more than all of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Helena
The Helena area has about 43,251 homes. 46% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is about as old as most; 20% were built in 2010 or later. 74% of households own their home, and the median home value is $476,600.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Helena are down 54% from 2024 to 2025 (468 → 216).
In 2025 the Helena area approved permits for 216 new homes (69 single-family), or 2.3 per 1,000 residents, ranking #272 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 275 one-person businesses (no employees) in site prep & specialty contracting, averaging $89,287 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Helena compares among the best cities to start a fence installer business.
They compete with 65 site prep & specialty contracting companies that have employees (about 261 workers in total). 77% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Helena Government data
In an average year, Helena has 27 days at 90°F or hotter (about typical; typical metro 33), including 1 at 100°F or more, 170 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 34 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more, and 37 inches of snow. Summer afternoons average 82°F and winter nights 15°F. That matters for fence installers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Helena Rgnl Airport, MT station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $48,170 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get fence installer pricing & estimate templates →Compare Helena with another city →
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ToolCheck an offer in HelenaSee where it falls among local fence installers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolHelena budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Helena metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Helena against every other metro for fence installers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.