Food Servers, Nonrestaurant Salary
Food Servers, Nonrestaurants in South Dakota make a median of $31,980 a year, or about $15.38 an hour. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $43K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.89), which stretches that salary to about $35,577 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,017/month, about 44.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across South Dakota. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $32K get you in South Dakota?
About food servers, nonrestaurants
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What this looks like in South Dakota
Food servers, nonrestaurant pay in South Dakota tracks closely to the national median, $32K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,017/month, which is 44% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, South Dakota
Entry-level food servers, nonrestaurants (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $32K. Top earners bring in $43K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant salary by metro in South Dakota
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | $33K | +4% | 110 |
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when South Dakota numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food servers, nonrestaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in South Dakota?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $32K, rent takes 44% 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 $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for food servers, nonrestaurants in South Dakota?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food servers, nonrestaurants typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,609/month. At HUD’s $1,017/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is food servers, nonrestaurant a high-paying job in South Dakota?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $32K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does South Dakota compare to the national average for food servers, nonrestaurants?
South Dakota pays $32K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food servers, nonrestaurants make in South Dakota?
The median is $31,980 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,810, and experienced food servers, nonrestaurants can clear $43,070. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $32K enough to live in South Dakota?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,311/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,017/month, which eats 44% 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 food servers, nonrestaurant 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 food servers, nonrestaurant salary is worth about $35,577 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do food servers, nonrestaurants 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.