Question 1

What is the cost of living in South Dakota?

Accepted Answer

South Dakota's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 89.89, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 10.1% less than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,017/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in South Dakota?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in South Dakota, the average median wage is $124,649. The single highest-paying occupation here is Radiologists at $586,010/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in South Dakota?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in South Dakota are: 1) Radiologists at $586,010; 2) Emergency Medicine Physicians at $393,870; 3) Obstetricians and Gynecologists at $297,610; 4) Chief Executives at $280,900; 5) General Internal Medicine Physicians at $280,520. Click any occupation above to see the full wage breakdown (10th to 90th percentile).

Question 4

How much does it cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in South Dakota?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in South Dakota is $1,017/month. FMR is the rent level HUD uses to administer housing assistance and reflects the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals, updated annually.

Question 5

Where does AffordMap's South Dakota data come from?

Accepted Answer

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Rent comes from HUD Fair Market Rents. All three are federal datasets, updated annually, and free to use. AffordMap pairs them so you can see what a salary actually buys after local costs.

Rank	Occupation	Category	Median salary	Hourly
71	Veterinarians	Healthcare	$89K	$42.62/hr
72	Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	Science	$89K	$42.6/hr
73	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	Management	$88K	N/A
74	Mechanical Engineers	Engineering	$88K	$42.49/hr
75	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	Public Safety	$88K	$42.22/hr
76	Social and Community Service Managers	Management	$87K	$41.77/hr
77	Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	Sales	$87K	$41.72/hr
78	Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other	Science	$86K	$41.47/hr
79	Financial Specialists, All Other	Business & Finance	$86K	$41.47/hr
80	Physics Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$86K	N/A

Top Paying Jobs in South Dakota

Highest paying careers in South Dakota

Affordability snapshot: South Dakota

Metro areas in South Dakota