Founder / Entrepreneur.
Billings.
$105,000
median salary, 9% below the national average
$50,000 to $225,000. Last updated April 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a Founder / Entrepreneur offer in Billings, MT, here is the reality: $50,000 to $225,000, with $105,000 as the midpoint. 9% below the national average. Funding stage, company revenue, and investor expectations create extreme variance in founder salaries. Do not accept the first number.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $95,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$68,000
to $84,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$89,000
to $110,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$116,000
to $137,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$131,000
to $163,000
Salary trend
+4% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $28,000 to the total package.
Base
$105,000
Equity
$16,000
Bonus
$10,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $133,000
How Billings compares
Billings, MT
$105,000
Cost of living: 11% below average
National Average
$115,000
Billings is $10,000 below
Founder / Entrepreneur salary by city
Salary by role in Billings
What you should know
The Founder / Entrepreneur landscape in Billings is not what most salary sites will tell you. Billings is Montana's largest city and economic hub, driven by energy, agriculture, and healthcare. The city serves as a regional center for the Northern Plains. Remote work has brought a wave of tech professionals seeking Montana's quality of life, gradually diversifying the local job market. Funding stage, company revenue, and investor expectations create extreme variance in founder salaries. Pre-seed founders often take minimal salary or none at all, while Series B and later founders pay themselves competitive market rates. Revenue-generating bootstrapped founders set salaries based on profitability and personal financial needs.
Pre-seed founders take $0 to $60,000 in salary while building initial product. Seed-stage founders with institutional funding earn $75,000 to $120,000. Series A founders pay themselves $120,000 to $175,000. Series B and beyond allows $175,000 to $250,000, approaching market CEO rates. In Billings, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 11% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity is the primary compensation vehicle, with founders holding 10 to 100% ownership depending on stage and co-founders. Salary is secondary until profitability or institutional funding allows market-rate pay. Health insurance and minimal benefits are often the only non-equity compensation in early stages. And on the tax side: montana has a top income tax rate of 5.9% but no state sales tax. Billings has no city income tax. The no sales tax benefit helps offset the state income tax. When someone quotes you $105,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Negotiate remote work arrangements. Billings employers are increasingly open to remote and hybrid setups to attract talent from larger metros. The range for Founder / Entrepreneurs in Billings runs from $50,000 to $225,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Product Designer in Billings earns $104,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Billings is Chief AI Officer at $287,000
Common questions.
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