Montana
The Impact Project synthesizes publicly available data about the impacts of government change.
State Dashboards provide a snapshot of impacts to states, including the size of the federal workforce, federal dollars, a profile of probationary workers, and impacts to federal programs.
Dashboards will change as the data does, and you may find areas that need updating. Please reach out via [email protected] if you would like to support our work, share data, or provide feedback.
Click here to download state data.
Federal Workforce in Montana
Total Workforce
562,320
Federal Workforce
10,129
Probationary Federal Workforce
1,080
Sources: OPM.gov (Mar. '24); Census.gov (Dec '24); BLS.gov (Feb. '24)
Federal Funding & State Revenue
Historically, federal dollars have accounted for about a quarter to a third of state revenue. The COVID-19 Pandemic increased those numbers. Approximately 43.76% of the State's 2019 budget came from federal funding, and 42.69% of 2022's budget.
Sources: Pew Trusts; Census.gov; NBER.gov
Summary of State Dots
| Action | Montana Stories |
|---|---|
| Defense | 2 |
| Economy & Employment | 2 |
| Education | 1 |
| Emergency Services, Public Safety & Law Enforcement | 5 |
| Energy | 12 |
| Food & Agriculture | 17 |
| Housing | 2 |
| Humanities & the Arts | 1 |
| Infrastructure | 4 |
| Natural Resources, Environment & Public Lands | 34 |
| Overarching | 7 |
| Public Health & Healthcare | 20 |
| Research & Academic Research | 3 |
| Social Services | 6 |
| Total | 116 |
Sources: theimpactproject.org
Last Updated: 4/23/2025
DOGE Data Summary
According to DOGE data, 8 contracts, 20 grants and 7 leases have been terminated in Montana.
Source: https://doge.gov/savings
Top Federal Occupations in Montana
This table provides a snapshot of federal occupations in this state. Click here for descriptions of these occupations.
Probationary employees include those employed by a federal agency for a year or less by March, 2024. For some agencies, the probationary period last longer (2-3yrs). In most cases, the probationary period restarts when a worker is promoted.
| Occupation | Total Employees | Probationary Employees |
|---|---|---|
| FORESTRY TECHNICIAN | 839 | 144 |
| NURSE | 599 | 75 |
| MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM | 588 | 33 |
| GENERAL NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES | 498 | 45 |
| MISCELLANEOUS CLERK AND ASSISTANT | 377 | 85 |
| MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANCE | 270 | 46 |
| INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT | 240 | 22 |
| CIVIL ENGINEERING | 173 | 14 |
| MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAM ANALYSIS | 166 | 8 |
| HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | 150 | 6 |
Sources: OPM.gov (2024)
Top Federal Employers in State
| State | Agency | Non-probationary | Probationary | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MT | Department Of Agriculture | 2624 | 376 | 3000 |
| MT | Department Of Veterans Affairs | 1740 | 266 | 2006 |
| MT | Department Of The Interior | 1666 | 113 | 1779 |
| MT | Department Of Health And Human Services | 999 | 124 | 1123 |
| MT | Department Of The Air Force | 617 | 64 | 681 |
Sources: OPM.gov
Impacted Funding for Food Programs
This summarizes cuts from only a few of the food-related programs impacted by funding changes since January 2025.
The LFS program awards money to states to buy local foods for schools and childcare institutions, and the LFPA program provides funding for state, tribal and territorial governments to buy food produced within the state or within 400 miles of delivery destinations. Both programs have been cancelled.
| State, Tribe, or Territory | Local Food for Schools (FY25) | Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement (FY25) |
|---|---|---|
| Montana | $2,825,695 | $1,111,226 |
Source: https://www.usaspending.gov/
Top 5 Counties with Federal Workers
| County | Federal Employees |
|---|---|
| Lewis and Clark County, Montana | 2094 |
| Yellowstone County, Montana | 1818 |
| Cascade County, Montana | 1531 |
| Missoula County, Montana | 1486 |
| Flathead County, Montana | 736 |
Sources: BLS.gov
Potentially Impacted Federal Programs
Montana benefits significantly from several federally supported social programs that address the state’s healthcare, nutrition, housing, and early childhood education needs. These programs play a crucial role in supporting the well-being of Montanans across various demographics. Examples include:
- Medicaid (Montana Medicaid)
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Housing Choice Voucher Program
- Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Early Childhood Education Initiatives
- Medicaid and Health Coverage
- Housing and Homelessness Assistance
- Food Security and Child Nutrition
- Cultural and Educational Programs
Due to federal budget cuts in 2025, some of these programs have already been impacted, and others may be impacted in the future.
State Map
- Rural Counties
- Indigenous Lands
- Majority Non-White
- Poverty Rate >= 20%
- 0 - 4,000
- 4,000 - 7,000
- 7,000 - 10,000
- 10,000 - 15,000
- 15,000 - 25,000
- 25,000 - 35,000
- 35,000 - 50,000
- >50,000
- 0 - 50
- 50 - 100
- 100 - 250
- 250 - 500
- 500 - 1,000
- 1,000 - 5,000
- 5,000 - 10,000
- >10,000
- Statewide Impact
- Location-Specific
Future Analysis
Check back for deeper dives into this data, including consideration of these questions:
- How do these changes impact local and state economies?
- How are local and state governments, NGOs, and businesses responding to federal changes? What gaps are they filling, and what gaps remain?
- How is federal government change evolving over time?
Download Full Data Set
Access a comprehensive Excel file containing all the data shown on this page. This downloadable resource is ideal for further analysis, reporting, or presentations.
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