Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in South Dakota make a median of $98,700 a year, or about $47.45 an hour. The range runs from $70K at the entry level to $127K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.89), which stretches that salary to about $109,801 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,017/month, or 15.4% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across South Dakota. Jump to a metro for precise data:
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What $99K actually covers in South Dakota, month by month
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What this looks like in South Dakota
Civil engineers pay in South Dakota tracks closely to the national median, $99K locally vs. $101K nationwide, a 2% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,017/month, 15.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, South Dakota
Entry-level civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $70K. Mid-career wages sit at $99K. Top earners bring in $127K or more, a $57K spread from bottom to top.
Civil Engineers salary by metro in South Dakota
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City | $100K | +2% | 350 |
| Sioux Falls | $100K | +1% | 540 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when South Dakota numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in South Dakota?
Yes — at the median salary of $99K, rent takes 15.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,017/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineers in South Dakota?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $70K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,806/month. At HUD’s $1,017/month FMR, rent would take 21% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is civil engineer a high-paying job in South Dakota?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $99K locally vs. $101K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does South Dakota compare to the national average for civil engineers?
South Dakota pays $99K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $110K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in South Dakota?
The median is $98,700 a year, that works out to about $47 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $70,050, and experienced civil engineers can clear $127,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $99K enough to live in South Dakota?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,485/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,017/month, which eats 15.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a civil engineers 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 civil engineers salary is worth about $109,801 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do civil engineers 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.