Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary Salary
In South Dakota, teaching assistants, postsecondaries earn $39,840 at the median. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.89), which stretches that salary to about $44,321 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,017/month, about 35.5% 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 $40K get you in South Dakota?
About teaching assistants, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in South Dakota
Teaching assistants, postsecondary pay in South Dakota tracks closely to the national median, $40K locally vs. $43K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,017/month, which is 35.8% 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 teaching assistants, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $38K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track teaching assistants, postsecondary 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 teaching assistants, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in South Dakota?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 35.8% 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 teaching assistants, postsecondaries in South Dakota?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new teaching assistants, postsecondaries typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,657/month. At HUD’s $1,017/month FMR, rent would take 61% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is teaching assistants, postsecondary a high-paying job in South Dakota?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $40K locally vs. $43K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does South Dakota compare to the national average for teaching assistants, postsecondaries?
South Dakota pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do teaching assistants, postsecondaries make in South Dakota?
The median is $39,840 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,620, and experienced teaching assistants, postsecondaries can clear $65,130. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in South Dakota?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,838/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,017/month, which eats 35.8% 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 teaching assistants, postsecondary 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 teaching assistants, postsecondary salary is worth about $44,321 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do teaching assistants, postsecondaries 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.