Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians Salary
The median pay for a ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians in South Dakota is $29,190/year ($14.04/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $33K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.89), which stretches that salary to about $32,473 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,017/month, about 46.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of South Dakota. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $29K get you in South Dakota?
About ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians
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What this looks like in South Dakota
Pay for ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians in South Dakota runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,017/month, which is 47.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicianss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, South Dakota
Entry-level ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $33K or more, a $4K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when South Dakota numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in South Dakota?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 47.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,017/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians in South Dakota?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,738/month. At HUD’s $1,017/month FMR, rent would take 59% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technician a high-paying job in South Dakota?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $29K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does South Dakota compare to the national average for ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians?
South Dakota pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians make in South Dakota?
The median is $29,190 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,960, and experienced ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians can clear $32,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in South Dakota?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,124/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,017/month, which eats 47.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians salary go in South Dakota?
South Dakota has a Regional Price Parity of 89.89 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians salary is worth about $32,473 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.