Highest-paying jobs in South Dakota

South Dakota · BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Anesthesiologists have the highest median pay in South Dakota, $239,200+ a year, followed by chief executives ($280,900) and nurse anesthetists ($263,930). The median for all jobs in South Dakota is $47,080, 43rd of the 50 states and DC; adjusted for local prices it ranks 23rd.

Median salary, all jobs: $47,080; 43rd of 51 · US $50,980
Median hourly wage: $22.63; US $24.51
Price level (US = 100): 88.6; Median worth $53,146 at US prices (23rd)
Jobs: 457,380; 540 occupations published

How these lists work

Occupations with at least 200 jobs in South Dakota, ranked by median annual wage (BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates). Typical entry education from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Occupations BLS did not publish for South Dakota are not listed. Methodology

The 25 highest-paying jobs in South Dakota

#	Occupation	Median pay	Hourly median	Jobs	US median	Typical entry education
1	Anesthesiologists	$239,200+	$115.00+	210	$391,490	Doctoral or professional degree
2	Chief Executives	$280,900	$135.05	510	$213,990	Bachelor's degree
3	Nurse Anesthetists	$263,930	$126.89	400	$236,590	Master's degree
4	Family Medicine Physicians	$239,970	$115.37	550	$244,180	Doctoral or professional degree
5	Marketing Managers	$167,750	$80.65	220	$166,790	Bachelor's degree
6	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$164,330	$79.00	310	$171,270	Bachelor's degree
7	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$162,240	$78.00	380	$175,140	Bachelor's degree
8	Financial Managers	$159,700	$76.78	1,000	$166,570	Bachelor's degree
9	Dentists, General	$158,140	$76.03	390	$170,950	Doctoral or professional degree
10	Computer Network Architects	$153,390	$73.75	420	$134,050	Bachelor's degree
11	Pharmacists	$146,790	$70.57	1,280	$140,910	Doctoral or professional degree
12	General and Operations Managers	$137,400	$66.06	4,280	$105,770	Bachelor's degree
13	Sales Managers	$136,360	$65.56	450	$148,270	Bachelor's degree
14	Physician Assistants	$133,200	$64.04	680	$135,880	Master's degree
15	Nurse Practitioners	$128,840	$61.94	1,020	$132,300	Master's degree
16	Personal Financial Advisors	$128,720	$61.89	620	$105,070	Bachelor's degree
17	Education Administrators, Postsecondary	$126,160	$60.65	240	$104,590	Master's degree
18	Medical and Health Services Managers	$122,050	$58.68	1,140	$123,860	Bachelor's degree
19	Construction Managers	$118,380	$56.91	1,070	$114,990	Bachelor's degree
20	Human Resources Managers	$117,930	$56.70	420	$149,280	Bachelor's degree
21	Information Security Analysts	$116,640	$56.08	770	$129,180	Bachelor's degree
22	Industrial Production Managers	$107,490	$51.68	720	$126,060	Bachelor's degree
23	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	$107,410	$51.64	370	$107,230	High school diploma or equivalent
24	Administrative Services Managers	$106,410	$51.16	450	$114,130	Bachelor's degree
25	First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	$105,680	$50.81	680	$87,520	High school diploma or equivalent

Highest-paying jobs in South Dakota without a degree

Typical entry education is a high school diploma, no formal credential, some college or a postsecondary certificate.

#	Occupation	Median pay	Hourly median	Jobs	Typical entry education
1	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	$107,410	$51.64	370	High school diploma or equivalent
2	First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	$105,680	$50.81	680	High school diploma or equivalent
3	Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	$97,310	$46.79	740	High school diploma or equivalent
4	First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	$80,810	$38.85	1,750	High school diploma or equivalent
5	Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	$78,900	$37.93	1,030	High school diploma or equivalent
6	Detectives and Criminal Investigators	$77,730	$37.37	250	High school diploma or equivalent
7	First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	$77,690	$37.35	2,360	High school diploma or equivalent
8	Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	$77,210	$37.12	5,220	High school diploma or equivalent
9	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	$73,040	$35.12	1,930	High school diploma or equivalent
10	Insurance Sales Agents	$71,990	$34.61	1,870	High school diploma or equivalent
11	Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines	$66,730	$32.08	830	High school diploma or equivalent
12	Real Estate Sales Agents	$65,170	$31.33	640	High school diploma or equivalent
13	Construction and Building Inspectors	$64,940	$31.22	200	High school diploma or equivalent
14	First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors	$64,780	$31.14	1,340	High school diploma or equivalent
15	Cargo and Freight Agents	$64,340	$30.94	200	High school diploma or equivalent

Jobs that pay much more in South Dakota than nationally

Ranked by the state median as a share of the national median. A large premium can reflect local demand, the mix of employers or a higher cost of living (South Dakota's price level is 88.6).

#	Occupation	Median pay	US median	vs. US median	Jobs
1	Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists	$49,800	$35,790	+39%	690
2	Chief Executives	$280,900	$213,990	+31%	510
3	General and Operations Managers	$137,400	$105,770	+30%	4,280
4	Manicurists and Pedicurists	$45,310	$35,760	+27%	250
5	Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers	$59,700	$47,810	+25%	300
6	Real Estate Sales Agents	$65,170	$52,830	+23%	640
7	Cargo and Freight Agents	$64,340	$52,260	+23%	200
8	Personal Financial Advisors	$128,720	$105,070	+23%	620
9	First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	$105,680	$87,520	+21%	680
10	Education Administrators, Postsecondary	$126,160	$104,590	+21%	240
11	Parts Salespersons	$45,370	$38,630	+17%	2,100
12	First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	$56,680	$48,520	+17%	3,660
13	Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	$44,500	$38,140	+17%	1,470
14	Driver/Sales Workers	$45,050	$38,770	+16%	1,050
15	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers	$44,290	$38,300	+16%	2,080

Most common jobs in South Dakota

#	Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	Hourly median	Typical entry education
1	Fast Food and Counter Workers	15,150	$29,490	$14.18	No formal educational credential
2	Registered Nurses	14,710	$78,060	$37.53	Bachelor's degree
3	Retail Salespersons	14,180	$34,370	$16.52	No formal educational credential
4	Cashiers	12,860	$29,780	$14.32	No formal educational credential
5	Stockers and Order Fillers	11,460	$37,650	$18.10	No formal educational credential
6	Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks	10,200	$46,340	$22.28	Some college, no degree
7	Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	8,630	$35,480	$17.06	No formal educational credential
8	Waiters and Waitresses	7,350	$28,990	$13.94	No formal educational credential
9	Nursing Assistants	6,860	$38,800	$18.65	Postsecondary nondegree award
10	Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	6,470	$58,690	$28.21	Postsecondary nondegree award
11	Customer Service Representatives	6,120	$40,650	$19.54	High school diploma or equivalent
12	Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive	6,120	$41,700	$20.05	High school diploma or equivalent
13	Accountants and Auditors	5,820	$78,880	$37.92	Bachelor's degree
14	Receptionists and Information Clerks	5,760	$38,280	$18.40	High school diploma or equivalent
15	Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	5,220	$77,210	$37.12	High school diploma or equivalent
16	Light Truck Drivers	4,820	$43,240	$20.79	High school diploma or equivalent
17	Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary	4,650	$28,220	—	Some college, no degree
18	Carpenters	4,560	$48,140	$23.14	High school diploma or equivalent
19	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	4,290	$50,130	—	Bachelor's degree
20	General and Operations Managers	4,280	$137,400	$66.06	Bachelor's degree

Jobs concentrated in South Dakota

Concentration is the location quotient: the occupation’s share of jobs in the state divided by its share nationally. 2.0× means twice as common as in the US overall.

#	Occupation	Concentration vs. US	Jobs	Median pay
1	Choreographers	29.8×	250	$40,320
2	Forest and Conservation Workers	27.5×	490	$38,210
3	Soil and Plant Scientists	10.3×	480	$73,590
4	Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers	8.2×	520	$30,020
5	Agricultural Technicians	7.8×	350	$41,420
6	Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians	7.3×	820	$62,140
7	Conveyor Operators and Tenders	7.3×	500	$44,890
8	Residential Advisors	7.2×	1,780	$38,420
9	Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation	5.8×	460	$46,320
10	Engine and Other Machine Assemblers	5.5×	550	$45,930
11	Machine Feeders and Offbearers	5.3×	660	$39,310
12	Helpers--Carpenters	5.1×	330	$34,700

What 123 careers pay in South Dakota

Click a heading to sort


Anesthesiologist	$239,200+	—	—	$391,490	210
Orthopedic Surgeon	$239,200+	—	—	$358,550	—
Radiologist	$586,010	2	$661,515	$420,860	70
OB-GYN	$297,610	27	$335,956	$292,910	80
CRNA	$263,930	17	$297,936	$236,590	400
Pediatrician	$257,610	8	$290,802	$210,040	80
Psychiatrist	$226,180	36	$255,323	$281,870	60
Marketing Manager	$167,750	11	$189,364	$166,790	220
Dentist	$158,140	40	$178,516	$170,950	390
Network Engineer	$153,390	6	$173,154	$134,050	420
Pharmacist	$146,790	13	$165,703	$140,910	1,280
Operations Manager	$137,400	3	$155,104	$105,770	4,280
Physician Assistant	$133,200	32	$150,362	$135,880	680
Nurse Practitioner	$128,840	39	$145,441	$132,300	1,020
Financial Advisor	$128,720	5	$145,305	$105,070	620
Healthcare Administrator	$122,050	22	$137,776	$123,860	1,140
Construction Manager	$118,380	18	$133,633	$114,990	1,070
HR Manager	$117,930	45	$133,125	$149,280	420
Cybersecurity Analyst	$116,640	25	$131,669	$129,180	770
Elevator Mechanic	$116,320	17	$131,307	$109,910	—
Architect	$102,500	8	$115,707	$99,280	180
Optometrist	$102,320	50	$115,504	$136,570	190
Lawyer	$102,040	47	$115,188	$159,670	1,360
Computer Engineer	$101,400	35	$114,465	$161,740	160
Financial Analyst	$99,150	22	$111,925	$102,740	820
Electrical Engineer	$98,980	45	$111,733	$120,630	530
Civil Engineer	$98,700	27	$111,417	$100,840	1,440
Radiation Therapist	$97,470	34	$110,029	$105,310	—
Lineman	$97,310	27	$109,848	$95,320	740
Software Engineer	$96,310	49	$108,719	$135,980	2,380
Data Scientist	$96,150	36	$108,539	$120,230	220
Physical Therapist	$92,660	49	$104,599	$102,760	1,060
Dental Hygienist	$92,210	33	$104,091	$98,100	630
Audiologist	$91,190	33	$102,940	$95,780	40
Veterinarian	$88,650	49	$100,072	$130,100	280
School Principal	$88,390	45	$99,779	$105,870	680
Mechanical Engineer	$88,380	47	$99,767	$104,110	560
Occupational Therapist	$85,050	48	$96,008	$100,330	490
Commercial Pilot	$83,710	48	$94,496	$123,220	320
Business Analyst	$83,620	44	$94,394	$101,860	2,980
Project Manager	$82,250	45	$92,848	$102,320	1,310
Ultrasound Technician	$80,820	46	$91,233	$96,590	370
Psychologist	$80,130	39	$90,454	$100,580	120
Loan Officer	$79,920	18	$90,217	$76,690	1,820
Claims Adjuster	$78,900	16	$89,066	$78,000	1,030
Meteorologist	$78,900	40	$89,066	$99,070	130
Accountant	$78,880	31	$89,043	$83,680	5,820
School Psychologist	$78,370	33	$88,468	$95,990	110
Registered Nurse	$78,060	49	$88,118	$97,550	14,710
Labor and Delivery Nurse (RN data)	$78,060	49	$88,118	$97,550	14,710
NICU Nurse (RN data)	$78,060	49	$88,118	$97,550	14,710
Travel Nurse (RN data)	$78,060	49	$88,118	$97,550	14,710
ICU Nurse (RN data)	$78,060	49	$88,118	$97,550	14,710
Pediatric Nurse (RN data)	$78,060	49	$88,118	$97,550	14,710
Detective	$77,730	37	$87,745	$93,790	250
MRI Technician	$77,010	50	$86,932	$95,480	210
Chiropractor	$76,210	30	$86,029	$79,200	260
Aircraft Mechanic	$75,750	30	$85,510	$79,870	150
Court Reporter	$75,210	13	$84,901	$72,420	40
Insurance Agent	$71,990	12	$81,266	$62,280	1,870
Crane Operator	$71,000	22	$80,148	$68,080	120
Respiratory Therapist	$68,240	49	$77,032	$82,280	430
HR Specialist	$67,590	35	$76,299	$75,940	1,340
Cardiovascular Technologist	$67,290	37	$75,960	$74,310	200
Marine Biologist (Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist data)	$65,890	39	$74,380	$76,780	170
Speech-language Pathologist	$65,680	51	$74,143	$97,870	410
Radiology Technician	$65,240	46	$73,646	$80,110	980
Interior Designer	$65,220	16	$73,623	$67,190	150
Real Estate Agent	$65,170	10	$73,567	$52,830	640
Nutritionist	$64,890	47	$73,251	$76,400	210
Train Conductor	$62,730	27	$70,813	$78,000	90
Electrician	$61,390	36	$69,300	$63,190	2,980
HVAC Technician	$61,390	24	$69,300	$61,010	1,610
Medical Lab Technician	$60,890	31	$68,735	$62,930	1,280
Mail Carrier	$60,760	15	$68,589	$60,550	850
Police Officer	$60,740	38	$68,566	$76,210	2,000
Surgical Technician	$59,870	44	$67,584	$64,650	600
Truck Driver	$58,690	27	$66,252	$58,640	6,470
Athletic Trainer	$58,620	43	$66,173	$62,520	150
Paralegal	$58,320	38	$65,834	$62,890	600
Diesel Mechanic	$58,120	43	$65,609	$61,770	1,340
TSA Officer	$55,530	42	$62,685	$66,770	60
Mental Health Counselor	$53,650	43	$60,563	$59,350	1,710
Correctional Officer	$53,040	29	$59,874	$58,940	1,490
LPN	$52,750	50	$59,547	$64,400	2,050
Massage Therapist	$52,000	37	$58,700	$58,450	180
School Counselor	$51,830	51	$58,508	$64,330	1,000
Forensic Scientist	$51,690	40	$58,350	$72,060	30
Plumber	$51,620	50	$58,271	$63,800	1,760
Medical Billing and Coding Specialist	$51,610	27	$58,260	$51,140	900
Librarian	$51,210	49	$57,808	$68,270	490
Auto Mechanic	$51,160	25	$57,752	$50,620	2,010
Web Developer	$51,100	43	$57,684	$92,650	390
High School Teacher	$51,050	49	$57,628	$72,040	3,360
Elementary School Teacher	$50,130	49	$56,589	$63,970	4,290
Cosmetologist	$49,800	4	$56,217	$35,790	690
Welder	$49,440	45	$55,810	$53,750	3,250
Physical Therapist Assistant	$49,310	51	$55,663	$68,380	300
Paramedic	$48,830	48	$55,122	$60,600	280
Chef	$48,470	47	$54,715	$62,470	300
Graphic Designer	$48,390	47	$54,625	$62,960	470
IT Support Specialist	$48,260	50	$54,478	$61,860	1,240
Firefighter	$48,160	34	$54,365	$59,280	610
Carpenter	$48,140	49	$54,343	$60,580	4,560
Dental Assistant	$47,900	26	$54,072	$48,070	1,290
Mortician	$47,840	35	$54,004	$55,010	200
Pharmacy Technician	$46,170	24	$52,119	$45,750	1,230
Construction Worker	$45,710	35	$51,600	$47,120	1,780
Nail Technician	$45,310	9	$51,148	$35,760	250
Vet Tech	$45,300	33	$51,137	$47,380	300
Marriage and Family Therapist	$44,870	44	$50,651	$66,940	80
Private Investigator	$44,840	39	$50,617	$51,220	60
Sterile Processing Technician	$42,330	43	$47,784	$47,700	480
Medical Assistant	$41,870	35	$47,265	$45,690	1,340
Bus Driver	$41,590	46	$46,949	$59,050	410
Personal Trainer	$40,070	39	$45,233	$47,160	950
Phlebotomist	$39,560	38	$44,657	$45,230	320
CNA	$38,800	34	$43,799	$42,260	6,860
Esthetician	$38,230	42	$43,156	$45,330	150
EMT	$36,800	44	$41,542	$44,470	600
Garbage Collector	$32,950	51	$37,195	$49,690	340
Bartender	$29,400	29	$33,188	$34,340	3,930
Substitute Teacher	$27,840	45	$31,427	$41,670	1,610

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates; adjusted with BEA regional price parities (2024). Rank among states: 1 = highest median of the states with published data.

Highest-paying jobs in other states

All rankings

Alabama$45,670
Alaska$61,000
Arizona$50,060
Arkansas$43,630
California$58,240
Colorado$59,800
Connecticut$59,690
Delaware$52,190
District of Columbia$91,540
Florida$47,880
Georgia$48,170
Hawaii$56,320
Idaho$47,970
Illinois$51,960
Indiana$47,860
Iowa$48,540
Kansas$48,010
Kentucky$46,920
Louisiana$45,520
Maine$51,430
Maryland$59,510
Massachusetts$63,590
Michigan$49,270
Minnesota$56,920
Mississippi$40,120
Missouri$47,800
Montana$48,740
Nebraska$48,980
Nevada$47,660
New Hampshire$55,880
New Jersey$58,570
New Mexico$47,210
New York$59,670
North Carolina$47,970
North Dakota$52,480
Ohio$49,380
Oklahoma$45,600
Oregon$57,000
Pennsylvania$49,690
Rhode Island$56,780
South Carolina$46,490
Tennessee$47,380
Texas$48,620
Utah$50,110
Vermont$56,390
Virginia$55,690
Washington$62,990
West Virginia$45,300
Wisconsin$50,270
Wyoming$50,270