Montana Final Paycheck Calculator

State

Montana's Wage Payment Act requires discharged employees to be paid immediately unless a pre-existing written policy extends the deadline to the next payday or 15 days, and voluntary quits are due by the next payday or 15 days, whichever comes first, under § 39-3-205 MCA; § 39-3-206 MCA allows a penalty of up to 110% of unpaid wages. — Montana DLI — Wage Payment Act

Enter separation details

Worked example

Discharged employee with written policy

last day worked = 2026-08-14 next regular payday = 2026-08-28 15th day after separation = 2026-08-29 estimated due date = 2026-08-28

What this calculator does not determine

Whether a personnel policy was pre-existing, written, and valid before discharge.
Whether a penalty should be awarded or the exact amount a court or agency would order.
Whether commissions, deductions, reimbursements, vacation, or disputed wages are owed.

Sources and verification

The timing rules and the up-to-110% penalty figure are taken from the Montana DLI Wage Payment Act source identified in TOOL-ASSIGNMENTS.md: Montana DLI Wage Payment Act. The calculator renders the penalty only from the verified percentage in that source data and does not invent any other damages figure.

Common questions

When is final pay due after a Montana discharge?

Montana source data says discharged employees are due final wages immediately. A pre-existing written personnel policy can extend that deadline, but only to the next regular payday or 15 days after separation, whichever occurs first.

When is final pay due after a Montana resignation?

For a voluntary quit, Montana source data says final wages are due by the employee's next regular payday or within 15 days after separation, whichever date arrives first. The calculator compares those two dates when a payday is entered.

Does Montana have a waiting-time penalty?

Yes. The source data supports a penalty of up to 110% of unpaid wages under § 39-3-206 MCA. The calculator can show that percentage estimate, but it does not decide whether a penalty is legally owed.