Although the natural resource industries have the highest wages nationally, not every community is blessed with natural resources.  Hence, these industries cannot be the solution for every Montana community.

Tourism and agriculture, although essential to our economy and Montanan way of life, create relatively low-paying jobs, and it is the combination of many low-paying jobs with few high-paying jobs that contributes to Montana’s low national wage rank.

High-tech and manufacturing are second and third in terms of highest-paying jobs. If we want to raise wages in Montana communities, we must create more jobs in Montana in the high-tech and high-tech manufacturing industries.