Great Falls is Montana's third-largest city and the seat of Cascade County, with an economy defined by something no other Montana city can claim — an active U.S. Air Force base. With a population of 60,000, the local economy is anchored by Malmstrom Air Force Base, Benefis Health System, and public-sector employment, producing a stable, non-seasonal job market that more closely resembles a mid-sized military community than a typical Rocky Mountain town. For the full city profile, see our Great Falls guide.
Employment at a Glance
Industry Breakdown
Great Falls's employment spans 3 major sectors. The largest is Education & Healthcare, accounting for 28.1% of all jobs — driven by Benefis Health System, Great Falls Public Schools, and the University of Providence. Retail trade accounts for approximately 13.2%, serving both the city and the surrounding agricultural communities of north-central Montana. Tourism and hospitality contribute roughly 11.2%, bolstered by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center, Giant Springs State Park, and the C.M. Russell Museum, which together draw visitors year-round.
| Industry | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Education & Healthcare | 28.1% | |
| Retail | 13.2% | |
| Tourism & Hospitality | 11.2% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023).
Malmstrom Air Force Base — The Defining Employer
Malmstrom Air Force Base is the single most important economic institution in Great Falls and the feature that sets the city apart from every other community in Montana. Home to the 341st Missile Wing, Malmstrom is one of three bases in the United States responsible for the land-based leg of the nuclear triad, operating Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles across a vast missile field stretching over 13,800 square miles of central Montana. Thousands of active-duty military personnel, civilian Department of Defense employees, contractors, and their families live and spend in Great Falls, generating economic impact that ripples through every sector of the local economy — housing, retail, dining, healthcare, childcare, and automotive services.
The Montana Air National Guard's 120th Airlift Wing also operates from Great Falls International Airport, flying C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The Guard unit provides additional military employment and reinforces Great Falls's identity as a defense community. Between Malmstrom and the Air National Guard, the military presence accounts for a substantial share of the local workforce and provides a baseline of demand that insulates the economy from the seasonal fluctuations that affect Montana's resort and tourism-driven towns.
Military rotation cycles — typically every two to four years — create a distinctive workforce dynamism. Families arrive, integrate into the community, patronize local businesses, enroll children in schools, and eventually rotate out. This constant turnover sustains steady demand for housing rentals, services, and consumer goods, but also means Great Falls's population includes a significant transient component that distinguishes it from more rooted Montana communities.
Benefis Health System — Largest Civilian Employer
Benefis Health System is Great Falls's largest civilian employer, with approximately 3,000 employees staffing a major regional hospital, specialty clinics, urgent care facilities, and outpatient services. Benefis serves not only Cascade County but a vast catchment area across north-central Montana — for many rural communities, it is the nearest full-service hospital. The health system employs physicians, nurses, surgical technicians, pharmacists, therapists, and a large administrative workforce, making healthcare one of the deepest and most diverse employment sectors in the city.
Ongoing investments in facility expansion, specialty services, and telehealth infrastructure continue to generate new positions. Great Falls College MSU's nursing and health sciences programs feed graduates directly into Benefis, creating an efficient local pipeline from classroom to career that benefits both institutions and the broader community.
Workforce Characteristics
Great Falls's labor force participation rate of 60.6% reflects a workforce shaped by military employment, healthcare, and public-sector work rather than seasonal or gig-economy labor. The unemployment rate of 3.2% indicates a tight labor market, particularly in healthcare, skilled trades, and technical fields supporting the defense sector. Military-connected spouses represent a distinct segment of the workforce — often highly educated but facing employment challenges due to frequent relocations and the need for portable careers or remote-work arrangements.
Great Falls College MSU — a two-year institution affiliated with Montana State University — provides workforce training in nursing, diesel technology, welding, information technology, and other applied fields that connect directly to local employer needs. The University of Providence, a small private Catholic university with roughly 1,000 students, offers four-year degrees but does not generate the large-scale graduate output of Montana's flagship universities. Employers seeking candidates with advanced degrees or specialized graduate training often recruit from the University of Montana in Missoula or Montana State University in Bozeman. Remote work has grown steadily in Great Falls, aided by housing costs that remain well below those of Bozeman and Missoula.
For a detailed look at how wages align with expenses, see our Great Falls cost of living guide.
Key Takeaways for Job Seekers
- Malmstrom Air Force Base is the economic anchor — military and civilian defense positions span logistics, security, engineering, maintenance, and administration, with openings posted on USAJobs.gov.
- Benefis Health System is the largest civilian employer (~3,000 employees), with consistent demand for nurses, physicians, technicians, and administrative staff across its hospital and clinic network.
- The Montana Air National Guard's 120th Airlift Wing provides additional military employment at Great Falls International Airport, with both full-time and drill-status positions.
- Great Falls Public Schools and Cascade County government round out the public-sector employment base, with openings in education, public safety, and municipal services.
- Great Falls College MSU provides accessible workforce training — its nursing and technical programs are directly aligned with the city's top employers.
- Great Falls's economy is notably non-seasonal — unlike Whitefish, Big Sky, or other resort towns, employment here remains stable year-round thanks to military, healthcare, and government anchors.
- Military spouse employment is a recognized challenge — several local organizations and programs support spouse career placement, remote work, and entrepreneurship.