High paying medical jobs in South Dakota

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in South Dakota. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single medical job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

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 medical jobs in South Dakota

OccupationMedian, South Dakota · Employed

1Emergency Medicine Physicians$393,870
Doctoral or professional degree
$210,850 – $461,290170
2General Internal Medicine Physicians$280,520
Doctoral or professional degree
$222,550 – $564,280160
3Nurse Anesthetists$263,930
Master's degree
$194,200 – $287,650400
4Family Medicine Physicians$239,970
Doctoral or professional degree
$175,200 – $356,720550
5Dentists, General$158,140
Doctoral or professional degree
$94,560 – $250,780390
6Pharmacists$146,790
Doctoral or professional degree
$112,200 – $166,3401,280
7Physician Assistants$133,200
Master's degree
$104,660 – $158,020680
8Nurse Practitioners$128,840
Master's degree
$103,080 – $156,0001,020
9Optometrists$102,320
Doctoral or professional degree
$90,560 – $174,920190
10Physical Therapists$92,660
Doctoral or professional degree
$77,890 – $107,8701,060
11Dental Hygienists$92,210
Associate's degree
$73,480 – $98,290630
12Veterinarians$88,650
Doctoral or professional degree
$61,640 – $128,920280
13Occupational Therapists$85,050
Master's degree
$65,820 – $106,520490
14Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$80,820
Associate's degree
$51,100 – $98,090370
15Registered Nurses$78,060
Bachelor's degree
$54,040 – $98,22014,710
16Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists$77,010
Associate's degree
$51,160 – $97,660210
17Chiropractors$76,210
Doctoral or professional degree
$58,770 – $113,180260
18Respiratory Therapists$68,240
Associate's degree
$48,530 – $88,830430
19Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians$67,290
Associate's degree
$40,650 – $103,040200
20Speech-Language Pathologists$65,680
Master's degree
$54,740 – $98,810410
21Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$65,240
Associate's degree
$48,730 – $89,710980
22Dietitians and Nutritionists$64,890
Bachelor's degree
$50,260 – $88,710210
23Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$60,890
Bachelor's degree
$37,550 – $81,5601,280
24Surgical Technologists$59,870
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,450 – $75,470600
25Athletic Trainers$58,620
Master's degree
$47,630 – $64,130150
26Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$52,970
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,790 – $90,050230
27Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$52,750
Postsecondary nondegree award
$40,770 – $67,7002,050
28Medical Records Specialists$51,610
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,920 – $76,950900
29Paramedics$48,830
Postsecondary nondegree award
$30,950 – $58,380280
30Pharmacy Technicians$46,170
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,220 – $56,8001,230
31Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$45,300
Associate's degree
$35,780 – $50,440300
32Opticians, Dispensing$43,400
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,390 – $49,730430
33Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$42,430
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,450 – $56,730300
34Emergency Medical Technicians$36,800
Postsecondary nondegree award
$31,130 – $48,460600

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	General Internal Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$280,520	$222,550 – $564,280	160
3	Nurse AnesthetistsMaster's degree	$263,930	$194,200 – $287,650	400
4	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$239,970	$175,200 – $356,720	550
5	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$158,140	$94,560 – $250,780	390
6	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$146,790	$112,200 – $166,340	1,280
7	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$133,200	$104,660 – $158,020	680
8	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$128,840	$103,080 – $156,000	1,020
9	OptometristsDoctoral or professional degree	$102,320	$90,560 – $174,920	190
10	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$92,660	$77,890 – $107,870	1,060
11	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$92,210	$73,480 – $98,290	630
12	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$88,650	$61,640 – $128,920	280
13	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$85,050	$65,820 – $106,520	490
14	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$80,820	$51,100 – $98,090	370
15	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$78,060	$54,040 – $98,220	14,710
16	Magnetic Resonance Imaging TechnologistsAssociate's degree	$77,010	$51,160 – $97,660	210
17	ChiropractorsDoctoral or professional degree	$76,210	$58,770 – $113,180	260
18	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$68,240	$48,530 – $88,830	430
19	Cardiovascular Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$67,290	$40,650 – $103,040	200
20	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$65,680	$54,740 – $98,810	410
21	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$65,240	$48,730 – $89,710	980
22	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$64,890	$50,260 – $88,710	210
23	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$60,890	$37,550 – $81,560	1,280
24	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$59,870	$38,450 – $75,470	600
25	Athletic TrainersMaster's degree	$58,620	$47,630 – $64,130	150
26	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$52,970	$38,790 – $90,050	230
27	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$52,750	$40,770 – $67,700	2,050
28	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$51,610	$36,920 – $76,950	900
29	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$48,830	$30,950 – $58,380	280
30	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,170	$37,220 – $56,800	1,230
31	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$45,300	$35,780 – $50,440	300
32	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,400	$32,390 – $49,730	430
33	Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$42,430	$36,450 – $56,730	300
34	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$36,800	$31,130 – $48,460	600

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 medical jobs in South Dakota

More for South Dakota

Metro areas in South Dakota

By field in South Dakota

Without a degree

High paying medical jobs in each state