In 2023, the median state and local government worker in South Dakota earned $28.47 an hour against $26.86 in the private sector, a gap of +6%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $46.60 against $53.72 privately (-13%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
Sample sizes by occupation in South Dakota are small; read the domain rows as indicative.
Public vs private pay in South Dakota by occupation, 2023
| Occupation domain | Government median $/hr | Private median $/hr | Gap at median | Government 90th pct | Private 90th pct | Gap at 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All occupations | $28.47 | $26.86 | +6% | $46.60 | $53.72 | -13% |
| Admin and clerical * | $26.32 | $22.14 | +19% | $40.72 | $36.18 | +13% |
| Education * | $27.46 | $27.94 | -2% | $38.68 | $38.29 | +1% |
| Engineering * | $51.46 | $38.07 | +35% | $58.48 | $60.08 | -3% |
| Finance * | $37.05 | $32.59 | +14% | $274.03 | $71.63 | +283% |
| Healthcare * | $33.90 | $37.02 | -8% | $98.83 | $107.95 | -8% |
| Legal * | $33.12 | $35.99 | -8% | $50.21 | $69.27 | -28% |
| Management * | $38.30 | $36.00 | +6% | $58.02 | $73.89 | -21% |
| Protective service * | $32.23 | $18.71 | +72% | $47.31 | $44.31 | +7% |
| Skilled trades * | $27.34 | $26.86 | +2% | $39.48 | $42.98 | -8% |
| Software and IT * | $37.07 | $34.36 | +8% | $44.41 | $57.40 | -23% |
How to read this
Raw medians compare different people: government employs more teachers, nurses, and degree-holders than the private sector does. The parent piece adjusts for education and experience nationally (federal pay 7% above comparable private workers, state pay 17% below, local pay 17% below) and shows the gap opening at the top of the ladder, where private pay in software, law, finance, and engineering has pulled away. This state table is the unadjusted view; the methodology appendix explains both.