Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health Salary
In South Dakota, environmental science and protection technicians, including healths earn $44,180 at the median, or about $21.24 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.89), which stretches that salary to about $49,149 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,017/month, about 32% 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 $44K get you in South Dakota?
About environmental science and protection technicians, including healths
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What this looks like in South Dakota
Pay for environmental science and protection technicians, including health in South Dakota runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $55K. Rent runs $1,017/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. 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 environmental science and protection technicians, including healths (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $26K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track environmental science and protection technicians, including health 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 environmental science and protection technicians, including health afford a 2BR apartment alone in South Dakota?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 32.5% 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 $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for environmental science and protection technicians, including healths in South Dakota?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental science and protection technicians, including healths typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,850/month. At HUD’s $1,017/month FMR, rent would take 55% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is environmental science and protection technicians, including health a high-paying job in South Dakota?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $44K here vs. $55K 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 environmental science and protection technicians, including healths?
South Dakota pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — below the national median.
How much do environmental science and protection technicians, including healths make in South Dakota?
The median is $44,180 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,830, and experienced environmental science and protection technicians, including healths can clear $57,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in South Dakota?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,128/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,017/month, which eats 32.5% 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 environmental science and protection technicians, including health 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 environmental science and protection technicians, including health salary is worth about $49,149 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do environmental science and protection technicians, including healths 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.