Foresters Salary
Foresters in Rapid City, SD make a median of $63,210 a year, or about $30.39 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $86K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.16), which stretches that salary to about $70,895 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,336/month, about 30.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $63K get you in Rapid City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Rapid City’s Regional Price Parity (89.16). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About foresters
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What this looks like in Rapid City
Pay for foresters in Rapid City runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $76K. Rent runs $1,336/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.16 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for foresters in metros near Rapid City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $81K | $77K |
| Duluth | $76K | $86K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Rapid City, SD
Entry-level foresters (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $86K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
Foresters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Foresters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $107K | +40% | 820 |
| Massachusetts | $90K | +17% | 130 |
| Alaska | $87K | +14% | 80 |
| South Carolina | $87K | +14% | 250 |
| Maryland | $86K | +13% | 120 |
| Connecticut | $85K | +11% | 60 |
| Iowa | $83K | +9% | 50 |
| Illinois | $82K | +8% | 220 |
| Oregon | $81K | +7% | 670 |
| Vermont | $81K | +6% | 80 |
| Texas | $80K | +5% | 210 |
| Alabama | $80K | +4% | 240 |
| Washington | $78K | +3% | 950 |
| Pennsylvania | $78K | +2% | 310 |
| North Carolina | $78K | +2% | N/A |
| Georgia | $77K | +1% | 370 |
| Minnesota | $76K | +0% | 390 |
| Colorado | $76K | +0% | 210 |
| Michigan | $76K | -1% | 340 |
| Utah | $75K | -2% | 40 |
| District of Columbia | $75K | -2% | N/A |
| New York | $74K | -4% | 280 |
| Ohio | $73K | -4% | 160 |
| Tennessee | $72K | -6% | 120 |
| Virginia | $72K | -6% | 340 |
| Mississippi | $71K | -7% | 110 |
| Arkansas | $69K | -9% | 130 |
| New Mexico | $69K | -9% | 50 |
| Wyoming | $68K | -11% | 60 |
| Kansas | $68K | -12% | 40 |
| Montana | $67K | -12% | 240 |
| Arizona | $67K | -12% | 70 |
| Maine | $66K | -13% | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $66K | -14% | 570 |
| New Hampshire | $65K | -15% | 110 |
| Idaho | $65K | -15% | 280 |
| South Dakota | $64K | -16% | 120 |
| Florida | $64K | -16% | 380 |
| Missouri | $63K | -17% | 120 |
| West Virginia | $63K | -18% | 100 |
| Indiana | $61K | -20% | 160 |
| Kentucky | $56K | -26% | 120 |
| Nevada | $51K | -33% | N/A |
| Oklahoma | $51K | -33% | 120 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track foresters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Rapid City numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a forester afford a 2BR apartment alone in Rapid City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 30.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,336/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for foresters in Rapid City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new foresters typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,062/month. At HUD’s $1,336/month FMR, rent would take 44% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is forester a high-paying job in Rapid City?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $63K here vs. $76K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Rapid City compare to the national average for foresters?
Rapid City pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $76K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $71K — below the national median.
How much do foresters make in Rapid City, SD?
The median is $63,210 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,040, and experienced foresters can clear $86,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Rapid City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,402/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,336/month, which eats 30.3% 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 foresters salary go in Rapid City?
Rapid City has a Regional Price Parity of 89.16 (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 foresters salary is worth about $70,895 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do foresters 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.