South Dakota
Highest-Paying Occupations in South Dakota
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025South Dakota
Figures describe the state of South Dakota as a whole. Occupations are ranked by published median annual wage; occupations where BLS suppressed the annual median or publishes only hourly wages are not ranked (4 such occupations here).
Top 25 of 563 occupations
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Radiologists | $586,010 | $281.73 | 70 |
| 2 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $393,870 | $189.36 | 170 |
| 3 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $297,610 | $143.08 | 80 |
| 4 | Chief Executives | $280,900 | $135.05 | 510 |
| 5 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $280,520 | $134.87 | 160 |
| 6 | Nurse Anesthetists | $263,930 | $126.89 | 400 |
| 7 | Pediatricians, General | $257,610 | $123.85 | 80 |
| 8 | Family Medicine Physicians | $239,970 | $115.37 | 550 |
| 9 | Anesthesiologists | $239,200 or more | $115.00 or more | 210 |
| 10 | Physicians, All Other | $239,200 or more | $115.00 or more | 200 |
| 11 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $239,200 or more | $115.00 or more | Not published |
| 12 | Surgeons, All Other | $239,200 or more | $115.00 or more | 120 |
| 13 | Psychiatrists | $226,180 | $108.74 | 60 |
| 14 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $211,990 | $101.92 | 130 |
| 15 | Marketing Managers | $167,750 | $80.65 | 220 |
| 16 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $164,330 | $79.00 | 310 |
| 17 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $162,240 | $78.00 | 380 |
| 18 | Financial Managers | $159,700 | $76.78 | 1,000 |
| 19 | Dentists, General | $158,140 | $76.03 | 390 |
| 20 | Computer Network Architects | $153,390 | $73.75 | 420 |
| 21 | Pharmacists | $146,790 | $70.57 | 1,280 |
| 22 | General and Operations Managers | $137,400 | $66.06 | 4,280 |
| 23 | Database Architects | $136,540 | $65.64 | 40 |
| 24 | Sales Managers | $136,360 | $65.56 | 450 |
| 25 | Physician Assistants | $133,200 | $64.04 | 680 |
The full list of every published occupation here is on the South Dakota overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.