Salaries · United States · North Dakota
Salaries in North Dakota 2026
The median pay for all jobs in North Dakota is $52,480 a year ($25.23 an hour), 3% above the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 18th highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in North Dakota earn a median of $59,549 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in North Dakota: the key figures
| Figure | North Dakota | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $52,480 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $64,050 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $31,330 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $103,160 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 429,430 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $59,549 ± $597 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $76,657 ± $1,163 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 89.0 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $7.25 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $52,480, a single person keeps about $44,348 a year ($3,696 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, North Dakota income tax. With prices 11% below the US average, $52,480 here buys what $59,000 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $52,480 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$4,118 |
| Social Security | -$3,254 |
| Medicare | -$761 |
| Take-home a year | $44,348 |
What drives pay in North Dakota
North Dakota's pay is tied to the Bakken oil field. Oil and gas extraction and its support services produced 13.0% of the state's GDP in 2025, against 1.0% for the US, and farms another 5.4% (US 0.7%), according to BEA. The state's Department of Mineral Resources reported production of 1,161,427 barrels a day in August 2026, 97.5% of it from the Bakken and Three Forks formations.
Most oil jobs are on the service side. Support activities for mining paid 4.7% of all employee compensation in the state (US 0.2%), against 1.5% for the extraction companies themselves, and heavy truck drivers are the single most common job, 11,870 of them on a median of $60,910. Farming adds more output than wages: farms are 5.4% of GDP but 1.1% of compensation. Machinery manufacturing, at 3.5% of GDP, is five times the US share.
Office industries are small. Professional and technical services are 3.1% of GDP, against 8.0% nationally, so few jobs pay at the very top: the 90th percentile is $103,160, against $128,560 for the US. The middle is solid, though. The median is $52,480, 3% above the US and 18th of the 50 states and DC, and prices are about 11% below the US average.
Growth has been slow. Real GDP rose only 0.5% in 2025 and 10.0% from 2019 to 2025, against 2.3% and 15.6% nationally. In October 2026 the department counted 34 drilling rigs and 8 frac crews working in the state, with the North Dakota oil price in August at $76.14 a barrel, well above the $57 assumed in the state's revenue forecast.
The highest-paid jobs in North Dakota
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacists | 1,070 | $142,040 |
| Financial Managers | 2,140 | $135,890 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,290 | $130,070 |
| Managers, All Other | 2,040 | $126,440 |
| Lawyers | 1,050 | $106,880 |
| Software Developers | 1,450 | $105,600 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,220 | $105,170 |
| Construction Managers | 1,450 | $102,070 |
| Civil Engineers | 1,380 | $98,190 |
| General and Operations Managers | 11,150 | $98,170 |
| Project Management Specialists | 2,020 | $96,160 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 1,920 | $90,600 |
| Loan Officers | 1,370 | $84,650 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 4,350 | $81,370 |
| Registered Nurses | 11,340 | $80,730 |
The most common jobs in North Dakota
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 11,870 | $60,910 | $29.29 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 11,470 | $30,080 | $14.46 |
| Registered Nurses | 11,340 | $80,730 | $38.81 |
| Retail Salespersons | 11,320 | $36,040 | $17.33 |
| General and Operations Managers | 11,150 | $98,170 | $47.20 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 9,990 | $45,690 | $21.97 |
| Cashiers | 9,510 | $31,460 | $15.12 |
| Office Clerks, General | 8,440 | $50,160 | $24.11 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 7,730 | $39,440 | $18.96 |
| Nursing Assistants | 6,840 | $45,820 | $22.03 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 6,720 | $37,750 | $18.15 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 5,800 | $47,480 | $22.83 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 5,750 | $44,670 | $21.48 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 5,600 | $38,240 | yearly pay only |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 5,250 | $30,890 | $14.85 |
Pay for careers we cover, in North Dakota
Official BLS medians for North Dakota; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 250 | $244,240 |
| Dentist | 260 | $220,660 |
| Pharmacist | 1,070 | $142,040 |
| Physician Assistant | 510 | $133,450 |
| Commercial Pilot | 370 | $133,010 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 1,290 | $130,070 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 100 | $107,990 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 310 | $107,540 |
| Lawyer | 1,050 | $106,880 |
| Software Engineer | 1,450 | $105,600 |
| Project Manager | 2,020 | $96,160 |
| Dental Hygienist | 660 | $90,530 |
| Data Scientist | 210 | $81,900 |
| Registered Nurse | 11,340 | $80,730 |
| Compliance Officer | 990 | $79,440 |
| Financial Analyst | 300 | $78,170 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 200 | $77,740 |
| Accountant | 4,430 | $75,730 |
| HVAC Technician | 970 | $74,490 |
| Electrician | 3,570 | $65,710 |
| UX Designer | 40 | $64,260 |
| Plumber | 1,620 | $63,560 |
| Welder | 2,590 | $62,000 |
| Paralegal | 730 | $59,430 |
North Dakota and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $52,480 | 89.0 | $59,000 |
| Minnesota | $56,920 | 98.6 | $57,700 |
| Montana | $48,740 | 94.6 | $51,500 |
| South Dakota | $47,080 | 88.6 | $53,100 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in North Dakota, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources: Director's Cut, October 2026 (August production), 20 Oct 2026
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