Occupations With the Highest Reported Median Wages in South Dakota

663 occupations have a published Bureau of Labor Statistics median wage in South Dakota for 2025. Rows are ordered by reported annual median wage.

Occupations

Occupation	Median annual wage	Employment	Salary page
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$50,980	2,130	View salary detail
Machinists	$50,890	830	View salary detail
Electrical and Electronics Drafters	$50,840	40	View salary detail
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters	$50,800	180	View salary detail
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$50,780	270	View salary detail
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators	$50,750	1,420	View salary detail
Pipelayers	$50,650	300	View salary detail
Tile and Stone Setters	$50,640	30	View salary detail
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks	$50,530	690	View salary detail
Mechanical Door Repairers	$50,500	160	View salary detail
Tree Trimmers and Pruners	$50,430	270	View salary detail
Roustabouts, Oil and Gas	$50,370	40	View salary detail
Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers	$50,150	60	View salary detail
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	$50,130	4,290	View salary detail
Surveying and Mapping Technicians	$50,050	110	View salary detail
Pest Control Workers	$49,920	190	View salary detail
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas	$49,920	40	View salary detail
First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers	$49,860	340	View salary detail
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists	$49,800	690	View salary detail
Self-Enrichment Teachers	$49,720	140	View salary detail
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	$49,620	50	View salary detail
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers	$49,560	590	View salary detail
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers	$49,490	1,280	View salary detail
Automotive Body and Related Repairers	$49,460	800	View salary detail
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers	$49,440	3,250	View salary detail
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	$49,410	610	View salary detail
Rehabilitation Counselors	$49,350	370	View salary detail
Physical Therapist Assistants	$49,310	300	View salary detail
Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters	$49,150	100	View salary detail
Chemical Technicians	$49,030	90	View salary detail
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$49,000	510	View salary detail
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers	$48,920	230	View salary detail
Credit Counselors	$48,890	—	View salary detail
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers	$48,850	360	View salary detail
Paramedics	$48,830	280	View salary detail
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders	$48,830	230	View salary detail
Food Science Technicians	$48,760	100	View salary detail
Highway Maintenance Workers	$48,610	1,800	View salary detail
Geothermal Technicians	$48,490	560	View salary detail
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other	$48,490	560	View salary detail
Chefs and Head Cooks	$48,470	300	View salary detail
Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators	$48,410	70	View salary detail
Graphic Designers	$48,390	470	View salary detail
Fence Erectors	$48,380	170	View salary detail
Dental Laboratory Technicians	$48,370	120	View salary detail
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$48,330	120	View salary detail
Computer User Support Specialists	$48,260	1,240	View salary detail
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining	$48,250	280	View salary detail
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders	$48,200	40	View salary detail
Painters, Construction and Maintenance	$48,160	670	View salary detail

Metropolitan areas in this state

Career and skills data: O*NET (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.