Salaries · United States · South Dakota
Salaries in South Dakota 2026
The median pay for all jobs in South Dakota is $47,080 a year ($22.63 an hour), 8% below the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 43rd highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in South Dakota earn a median of $55,006 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in South Dakota: the key figures
| Figure | South Dakota | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $47,080 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $57,610 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $29,300 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $94,900 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 457,380 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $55,006 ± $399 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $75,081 ± $888 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 88.6 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $11.85 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $47,080, a single person keeps about $40,009 a year ($3,334 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; South Dakota has no state income tax on wages. With prices 11% below the US average, $47,080 here buys what $53,100 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $47,080 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$3,470 |
| Social Security | -$2,919 |
| Medicare | -$683 |
| Take-home a year | $40,009 |
What drives pay in South Dakota
South Dakota's economy rests on farms and banks. Farms produced 8.3% of the state's GDP in 2025, more than twelve times the US share of 0.7%, and credit intermediation, the category that includes the state's credit card banks, 15.6%, almost four times the US share, according to BEA. Neither turns into many paychecks: farms pay 1.4% of the state's employee compensation and banking 4.0%. The Department of Labor and Regulation reports that financial jobs, 27,400 in 2025, have been declining for five years as consolidation and technology cut staffing needs.
Professional and technical services are only 3.8% of GDP, against 8.0% nationally. That leaves a compressed pay scale: the 90th percentile is $94,900, the third lowest of any state (US $128,560), and fast food and counter workers are the most common job, 15,150 of them on a median of $29,490. The all-jobs median is $47,080, 8% below the US and 43rd of the 50 states and DC, though prices are about 11% below the US average.
Work is plentiful, even if pay is modest. Unemployment averaged 2.1% in 2025, the lowest of any state; 68.1% of adults were in the labor force, against 62.4% nationally; and South Dakota had the eighth-highest rate of people holding more than one job. Job growth slowed to 0.3% in 2025, and real GDP rose 14.1% from 2019 to 2025, slightly below the US rate. The state minimum wage, $11.85 in 2026, is due to rise to $12.30 in January 2027.
The highest-paid jobs in South Dakota
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Managers | 1,000 | $159,700 |
| Pharmacists | 1,280 | $146,790 |
| General and Operations Managers | 4,280 | $137,400 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,020 | $128,840 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,140 | $122,050 |
| Construction Managers | 1,070 | $118,380 |
| Lawyers | 1,360 | $102,040 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 1,110 | $99,790 |
| Civil Engineers | 1,440 | $98,700 |
| Software Developers | 2,380 | $96,310 |
| Physical Therapists | 1,060 | $92,660 |
| Management Analysts | 2,980 | $83,620 |
| Project Management Specialists | 1,310 | $82,250 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 1,750 | $80,810 |
| Loan Officers | 1,820 | $79,920 |
The most common jobs in South Dakota
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 15,150 | $29,490 | $14.18 |
| Registered Nurses | 14,710 | $78,060 | $37.53 |
| Retail Salespersons | 14,180 | $34,370 | $16.52 |
| Cashiers | 12,860 | $29,780 | $14.32 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 11,460 | $37,650 | $18.10 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 10,200 | $46,340 | $22.28 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 8,630 | $35,480 | $17.06 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 7,350 | $28,990 | $13.94 |
| Nursing Assistants | 6,860 | $38,800 | $18.65 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 6,470 | $58,690 | $28.21 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 6,120 | $40,650 | $19.54 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 6,120 | $41,700 | $20.05 |
| Accountants and Auditors | 5,820 | $78,880 | $37.92 |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | 5,760 | $38,280 | $18.40 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 5,220 | $77,210 | $37.12 |
Pay for careers we cover, in South Dakota
Official BLS medians for South Dakota; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 400 | $263,930 |
| Dentist | 390 | $158,140 |
| Pharmacist | 1,280 | $146,790 |
| Physician Assistant | 680 | $133,200 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 1,020 | $128,840 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 770 | $116,640 |
| Elevator Technician | $116,320 | |
| Lawyer | 1,360 | $102,040 |
| Financial Analyst | 820 | $99,150 |
| Software Engineer | 2,380 | $96,310 |
| Data Scientist | 220 | $96,150 |
| Dental Hygienist | 630 | $92,210 |
| Commercial Pilot | 320 | $83,710 |
| Project Manager | 1,310 | $82,250 |
| Accountant | 5,820 | $78,880 |
| Registered Nurse | 14,710 | $78,060 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 150 | $75,750 |
| Compliance Officer | 1,130 | $72,630 |
| Electrician | 2,980 | $61,390 |
| HVAC Technician | 1,610 | $61,390 |
| Paralegal | 600 | $58,320 |
| Plumber | 1,760 | $51,620 |
| Welder | 3,250 | $49,440 |
South Dakota and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | $47,080 | 88.6 | $53,100 |
| Iowa | $48,540 | 87.8 | $55,300 |
| Minnesota | $56,920 | 98.6 | $57,700 |
| Montana | $48,740 | 94.6 | $51,500 |
| North Dakota | $52,480 | 89.0 | $59,000 |
| Nebraska | $48,980 | 90.1 | $54,400 |
| Wyoming | $50,270 | 92.7 | $54,200 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in South 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
- South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, Labor Market Information Center: South Dakota Workforce Report 2025, 2025 report (PDF dated 29 Sep 2026)
- Paygrade src/data/state-pay.json (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025), May 2025 data
- South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation: minimum wage posters 2026 and 2027 (as recorded in the site's src/data/minimum-wage-us.json), 2027 poster (not re-read in this session)
Related
- Salary comparison by city: what a salary is worth in another US city
- Salaries in the United States