Surveyors Salary
The median pay for a surveyors in Sioux Falls, SD-MN is $81,030/year ($38.96/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $123K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.63), which stretches that salary to about $89,407 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,156/month, or 21.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $81K get you in Sioux Falls?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Sioux Falls’s Regional Price Parity (90.63). 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 Sioux Falls
Surveyors pay in Sioux Falls tracks closely to the national median, $81K locally vs. $75K nationwide, a 7% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,156/month, 21.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.63 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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 surveyors in metros near Sioux Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid City | $78K | $88K |
| 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, Sioux Falls, SD-MN
Entry-level surveyors (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $123K or more, a $64K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Sioux Falls numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a surveyor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Sioux Falls?
Yes — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 21.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,156/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for surveyors in Sioux Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new surveyors typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,538/month. At HUD’s $1,156/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 Sioux Falls?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $81K locally vs. $75K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Sioux Falls compare to the national average for surveyors?
Sioux Falls pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $89K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do surveyors make in Sioux Falls, SD-MN?
The median is $81,030 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $58,970, and experienced surveyors can clear $122,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Sioux Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,449/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,156/month, which eats 21.2% 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 Sioux Falls?
Sioux Falls has a Regional Price Parity of 90.63 (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 $89,407 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.