High paying jobs in South Dakota

Every occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in South Dakota. The percentile range matters more than the median on its own: it shows what the bottom and top of each field actually earn, which a single average hides.

Cost of living: prices in South Dakota run 11.4% below the national average (2024), so a South Dakota salary is worth about 1.13× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in South Dakota.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find high paying jobs in South Dakota

OccupationMedian, South Dakota · Employed

1Emergency Medicine Physicians$393,870
Doctoral or professional degree
$210,850 – $461,290170
2Chief Executives$280,900
Bachelor's degree
$175,590 – $546,760510
3General Internal Medicine Physicians$280,520
Doctoral or professional degree
$222,550 – $564,280160
4Nurse Anesthetists$263,930
Master's degree
$194,200 – $287,650400
5Family Medicine Physicians$239,970
Doctoral or professional degree
$175,200 – $356,720550
6Marketing Managers$167,750
Bachelor's degree
$101,350 – $233,820220
7Architectural and Engineering Managers$164,330
Bachelor's degree
$116,320 – $209,210310
8Computer and Information Systems Managers$162,240
Bachelor's degree
$119,670 – $221,420380
9Financial Managers$159,700
Bachelor's degree
$113,930 – $232,2401,000
10Dentists, General$158,140
Doctoral or professional degree
$94,560 – $250,780390
11Computer Network Architects$153,390
Bachelor's degree
$96,670 – $199,420420
12Pharmacists$146,790
Doctoral or professional degree
$112,200 – $166,3401,280
13General and Operations Managers$137,400
Bachelor's degree
$85,990 – $232,0004,280
14Sales Managers$136,360
Bachelor's degree
$72,510 – $219,050450
15Physician Assistants$133,200
Master's degree
$104,660 – $158,020680
16Nurse Practitioners$128,840
Master's degree
$103,080 – $156,0001,020
17Personal Financial Advisors$128,720
Bachelor's degree
$77,280 – $337,140620
18Natural Sciences Managers$128,140
Bachelor's degree
$94,520 – $213,210180
19Education Administrators, Postsecondary$126,160
Master's degree
$86,610 – $228,660240
20Medical and Health Services Managers$122,050
Bachelor's degree
$84,310 – $178,6301,140
21Managers, All Other$119,470
Bachelor's degree
$62,240 – $172,930570
22Construction Managers$118,380
Bachelor's degree
$90,210 – $161,4401,070
23Human Resources Managers$117,930
Bachelor's degree
$83,780 – $176,930420
24Information Security Analysts$116,640
Bachelor's degree
$71,610 – $161,700770
25Industrial Production Managers$107,490
Bachelor's degree
$82,620 – $162,240720
26Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$107,410
High school diploma or equivalent
$70,090 – $147,230370
27Administrative Services Managers$106,410
Bachelor's degree
$76,200 – $147,720450
28First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers$105,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$61,110 – $177,380680
29Computer Occupations, All Other$105,370
Bachelor's degree
$76,900 – $149,430240
30Architects, Except Landscape and Naval$102,500
Bachelor's degree
$61,350 – $162,160180
31Optometrists$102,320
Doctoral or professional degree
$90,560 – $174,920190
32Lawyers$102,040
Doctoral or professional degree
$76,920 – $234,6901,360
33Computer Hardware Engineers$101,400
Bachelor's degree
$78,040 – $150,110160
34Facilities Managers$101,280
Bachelor's degree
$75,630 – $134,560370
35Computer Systems Analysts$99,790
Bachelor's degree
$66,710 – $156,1701,110
36Financial and Investment Analysts$99,150
Bachelor's degree
$55,010 – $239,700820
37Electrical Engineers$98,980
Bachelor's degree
$69,580 – $138,210530
38Civil Engineers$98,700
Bachelor's degree
$70,050 – $127,0901,440
39Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door$98,090
High school diploma or equivalent
$57,870 – $105,770150
40Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers$97,310
High school diploma or equivalent
$63,840 – $118,530740
41Software Developers$96,310
Bachelor's degree
$65,530 – $160,3802,380
42Data Scientists$96,150
Bachelor's degree
$67,510 – $145,510220
43Industrial Engineers$93,200
Bachelor's degree
$69,310 – $128,500830
44Physical Therapists$92,660
Doctoral or professional degree
$77,890 – $107,8701,060
45Dental Hygienists$92,210
Associate's degree
$73,480 – $98,290630
46Financial Examiners$88,690
Bachelor's degree
$54,790 – $162,970150
47Veterinarians$88,650
Doctoral or professional degree
$61,640 – $128,920280
48Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$88,610
Bachelor's degree
$48,590 – $121,840250
49Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$88,390
Master's degree
$74,770 – $109,270680
50Mechanical Engineers$88,380
Bachelor's degree
$65,130 – $134,140560

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianSouth Dakota	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Emergency Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$393,870	$210,850 – $461,290	170
2	Chief ExecutivesBachelor's degree	$280,900	$175,590 – $546,760	510
3	General Internal Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$280,520	$222,550 – $564,280	160
4	Nurse AnesthetistsMaster's degree	$263,930	$194,200 – $287,650	400
5	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$239,970	$175,200 – $356,720	550
6	Marketing ManagersBachelor's degree	$167,750	$101,350 – $233,820	220
7	Architectural and Engineering ManagersBachelor's degree	$164,330	$116,320 – $209,210	310
8	Computer and Information Systems ManagersBachelor's degree	$162,240	$119,670 – $221,420	380
9	Financial ManagersBachelor's degree	$159,700	$113,930 – $232,240	1,000
10	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$158,140	$94,560 – $250,780	390
11	Computer Network ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$153,390	$96,670 – $199,420	420
12	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$146,790	$112,200 – $166,340	1,280
13	General and Operations ManagersBachelor's degree	$137,400	$85,990 – $232,000	4,280
14	Sales ManagersBachelor's degree	$136,360	$72,510 – $219,050	450
15	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$133,200	$104,660 – $158,020	680
16	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$128,840	$103,080 – $156,000	1,020
17	Personal Financial AdvisorsBachelor's degree	$128,720	$77,280 – $337,140	620
18	Natural Sciences ManagersBachelor's degree	$128,140	$94,520 – $213,210	180
19	Education Administrators, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$126,160	$86,610 – $228,660	240
20	Medical and Health Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$122,050	$84,310 – $178,630	1,140
21	Managers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$119,470	$62,240 – $172,930	570
22	Construction ManagersBachelor's degree	$118,380	$90,210 – $161,440	1,070
23	Human Resources ManagersBachelor's degree	$117,930	$83,780 – $176,930	420
24	Information Security AnalystsBachelor's degree	$116,640	$71,610 – $161,700	770
25	Industrial Production ManagersBachelor's degree	$107,490	$82,620 – $162,240	720
26	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution ManagersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$107,410	$70,090 – $147,230	370
27	Administrative Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$106,410	$76,200 – $147,720	450
28	First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$105,680	$61,110 – $177,380	680
29	Computer Occupations, All OtherBachelor's degree	$105,370	$76,900 – $149,430	240
30	Architects, Except Landscape and NavalBachelor's degree	$102,500	$61,350 – $162,160	180
31	OptometristsDoctoral or professional degree	$102,320	$90,560 – $174,920	190
32	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$102,040	$76,920 – $234,690	1,360
33	Computer Hardware EngineersBachelor's degree	$101,400	$78,040 – $150,110	160
34	Facilities ManagersBachelor's degree	$101,280	$75,630 – $134,560	370
35	Computer Systems AnalystsBachelor's degree	$99,790	$66,710 – $156,170	1,110
36	Financial and Investment AnalystsBachelor's degree	$99,150	$55,010 – $239,700	820
37	Electrical EngineersBachelor's degree	$98,980	$69,580 – $138,210	530
38	Civil EngineersBachelor's degree	$98,700	$70,050 – $127,090	1,440
39	Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical DoorHigh school diploma or equivalent	$98,090	$57,870 – $105,770	150
40	Electrical Power-Line Installers and RepairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$97,310	$63,840 – $118,530	740
41	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$96,310	$65,530 – $160,380	2,380
42	Data ScientistsBachelor's degree	$96,150	$67,510 – $145,510	220
43	Industrial EngineersBachelor's degree	$93,200	$69,310 – $128,500	830
44	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$92,660	$77,890 – $107,870	1,060
45	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$92,210	$73,480 – $98,290	630
46	Financial ExaminersBachelor's degree	$88,690	$54,790 – $162,970	150
47	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$88,650	$61,640 – $128,920	280
48	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$88,610	$48,590 – $121,840	250
49	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through SecondaryMaster's degree	$88,390	$74,770 – $109,270	680
50	Mechanical EngineersBachelor's degree	$88,380	$65,130 – $134,140	560

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in South Dakota. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for South Dakota

Metro areas in South Dakota

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in South Dakota

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in South Dakota to rank honestly.

High paying jobs in South Dakota

More for South Dakota

Metro areas in South Dakota

By field in South Dakota

Without a degree

By state