Surveyors Salary
The median pay for a surveyors in Rapid City, SD is $78,320/year ($37.65/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $58K at the entry level to $109K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.16), which stretches that salary to about $87,842 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,336/month, or 24.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $78K actually covers in Rapid City, month by month
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 surveyors
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What this looks like in Rapid City
Surveyors pay in Rapid City tracks closely to the national median, $78K locally vs. $75K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,336/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.3% 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. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for surveyors in metros near Rapid City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | $81K | $89K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $92K | $88K |
| Omaha | $64K | $70K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $79K | $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 surveyors (10th percentile) start around $58K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $109K or more, a $51K spread from bottom to top.
Surveyors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Surveyors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $105K | +40% | 4,520 |
| Alaska | $100K | +32% | 250 |
| Oregon | $97K | +29% | 530 |
| Massachusetts | $95K | +25% | 1,290 |
| Washington | $86K | +13% | 780 |
| Montana | $85K | +12% | 350 |
| Minnesota | $84K | +11% | 980 |
| Maine | $83K | +10% | 270 |
| Delaware | $83K | +10% | 120 |
| Nevada | $82K | +9% | 490 |
| Hawaii | $82K | +9% | 140 |
| Wyoming | $81K | +8% | 240 |
| Indiana | $81K | +7% | 870 |
| Wisconsin | $80K | +6% | 610 |
| North Dakota | $79K | +5% | 250 |
| Colorado | $79K | +5% | 1,620 |
| New York | $79K | +5% | 1,470 |
| Arizona | $77K | +3% | 1,360 |
| South Dakota | $77K | +2% | 180 |
| New Jersey | $77K | +2% | 900 |
| Iowa | $77K | +2% | 450 |
| Connecticut | $77K | +2% | 430 |
| Vermont | $76K | +1% | N/A |
| Tennessee | $76K | +1% | 920 |
| North Carolina | $76K | +1% | 1,530 |
| Illinois | $76K | +1% | 1,710 |
| Pennsylvania | $76K | +1% | 1,610 |
| Kansas | $76K | +1% | 350 |
| New Mexico | $74K | -2% | 290 |
| Idaho | $74K | -2% | 250 |
| Utah | $73K | -3% | 650 |
| Michigan | $72K | -4% | 1,050 |
| Kentucky | $72K | -5% | 670 |
| Virginia | $71K | -6% | 1,360 |
| Ohio | $71K | -6% | 1,300 |
| Nebraska | $68K | -10% | 430 |
| Alabama | $67K | -11% | 910 |
| Florida | $65K | -13% | 4,000 |
| New Hampshire | $65K | -14% | 280 |
| Maryland | $65K | -14% | 950 |
| South Carolina | $63K | -16% | 1,000 |
| Louisiana | $63K | -16% | 1,460 |
| Rhode Island | $63K | -17% | 150 |
| Missouri | $62K | -18% | 830 |
| West Virginia | $62K | -18% | 630 |
| Oklahoma | $61K | -19% | 960 |
| Texas | $61K | -19% | 6,410 |
| Mississippi | $59K | -22% | 570 |
| Georgia | $58K | -23% | 1,770 |
| Arkansas | $52K | -31% | 550 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track surveyors salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Rapid City numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a surveyor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Rapid City?
Yes — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 25.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,336/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for surveyors in Rapid City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new surveyors typically earn — is $58K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,072/month. At HUD’s $1,336/month FMR, rent would take 33% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is surveyor a high-paying job in Rapid City?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $78K locally vs. $75K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Rapid City compare to the national average for surveyors?
Rapid City pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $88K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do surveyors make in Rapid City, SD?
The median is $78,320 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $58,270, and experienced surveyors can clear $109,030. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Rapid City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,290/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,336/month, which eats 25.3% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a surveyors 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 surveyors salary is worth about $87,842 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do surveyors 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.