Each year, roughly 1.7% of Montana students graduate with certificates in allied health. Thus, Montana's 9 allied health schools put out approximately 292 allied health professionals each year.

Top Schools

The University of Montana, which was ranked 37th nationwide in 2010, is the top-ranked school in Montana that has a allied health program. It is located in Missoula. In 2010, 79 students graduated from The University of Montana's allied health program. The University of Montana charged in-state students $5,476 in tuition fees per year.

The second-ranked school in Montana that has a allied health program is Rocky Mountain College. Rocky Mountain College, which was ranked 44th in the country in 2010, is located in Billings. 27 students graduated with certificate in allied health from Rocky Mountain College in 2010. Students at Rocky Mountain College paid $21,100 per year in tuition fees.

Salish Kootenai College, which is located in Pablo, is the third-ranked school in Montana that has a allied health program. It received a ranking of 77th in the country in 2010. In 2010, Salish Kootenai College graduated 2 students from its allied health programs. Tuition at Salish Kootenai College was $4,002 per year.

Cost

Allied health schools in Montana, charge students an average tuition of $5,852 per year. But, tuition can be as much as $21,100 per year, or as little as $3,024 per year. The highest tuition rates in 2010 at Montana allied health schools were charged at the following schools:

1. Rocky Mountain College - located in Billings, students are charged $21,100 per year
2. The University of Montana - located in Missoula, students are charged $5,476 per year
3. Montana State University-Billings - located in Billings, students are charged $5,242 per year

The allied health schools in Montana that charged the lowest tuition rates were:

1. Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology - located in Great Falls, students are charged $3,024 per year
2. Montana Tech-College of Technology - located in Butte, students are charged $3,128 per year
3. Miles Community College - located in Miles City, students are charged $3,420 per year

An allied health certificate from a Montana school... what next?

Home health aide, nursing assistant, psychiatric aide, occupational therapy assistant, and physical therapist assistant are the professions of choice for a majority of allied health graduates in Montana. In 2010, there were 13,620 allied health professional working in Montana, including 990 certifed medical assistants, 3,740 home health aides, and 6,080 nursing assistants. The Montana counties with the largest populations of allied health professional are:

1. Beaverhead County - 3,110 allied health professionals
2. Carbon County - 2,460 allied health professionals
3. Flathead County - 1,750 allied health professionals

Projected Growth

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts by 2018, an estimated 14,910 allied health professionals will be working in Montana. This would require the number of allied health professional to grow by 19%.

Salary

On average, allied health professionals earn a salary of $30,128 per year in Montana state. But, salaries for allied health professional can vary. In 2010, allied health professional made as little as less than $15,490 per year or as much as more than $61,070 per year in Montana. Allied health professionals in the following Montana counties make the highest salaries on average:

1. Carbon County - $28,427 per year
2. Missoula County - $28,382 per year
3. Flathead County - $27,013 per year

Allied health professionals in the following counties in Montana make the lowest salaries on average:

1. Cascade County - $24,088 per year
2. Carter County - $25,166 per year
3. Big Horn County - $25,773 per year

On average, the highest paid allied health professionals in Montana were:

1. Massage Therapist - $41,190 per year
2. Occupational Therapy Assistant - $39,510 per year
3. Physical Therapist Assistant - $38,890 per year

On average, the lowest paid allied health professionals in Montana were:

4. Nursing Assistant - $23,650 per year
5. Home Health Aide - $20,510 per year

More Information

Take a look at the graphs and charts below for additional Montana statistics regarding a career in allied health and to compare salaries with a variety of related fields such as nurse anesthetist or nurse assisting.