Insights / Healthcare pay below the U.S. median / South Dakota
5 healthcare jobs where pay in South Dakota lags the U.S. median
South Dakota's deep lag on this list is speech-language pathologists, and registered nurses are under the country too.
The debrief treated a low-wage state as an aide problem. Aides are not on this page.
Speech-language pathologists in South Dakota have a median of $65,680 against $97,870 nationally, 0.67 of the country figure. That is a clinical offer that will lose to any employer using the national midpoint.
Registered nurses are at $78,060 against $97,550 nationally, 0.80 of the country figure.
A nurse range copied from the U.S. median is not a South Dakota range.
It is a raise the posting has not funded.
Each occupation
1Speech-Language Pathologists
- State median
- $65,680
- U.S. median
- $97,870
- State vs U.S.
- 0.67
2Registered Nurses
- State median
- $78,060
- U.S. median
- $97,550
- State vs U.S.
- 0.80
3Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
- State median
- $65,240
- U.S. median
- $80,110
- State vs U.S.
- 0.81
4Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
- State median
- $52,750
- U.S. median
- $64,400
- State vs U.S.
- 0.82
5Emergency Medical Technicians
- State median
- $36,800
- U.S. median
- $44,470
- State vs U.S.
- 0.83
Ranked table
Swipe the table sideways. The same figures are in the blocks above.
| Rank | Occupation | State median | U.S. median | State vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Speech-Language Pathologists | $65,680 | $97,870 | 0.67 |
| 2 | Registered Nurses | $78,060 | $97,550 | 0.80 |
| 3 | Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $65,240 | $80,110 | 0.81 |
| 4 | Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $52,750 | $64,400 | 0.82 |
| 5 | Emergency Medical Technicians | $36,800 | $44,470 | 0.83 |
Takeaways
- Radiologic technologists and technicians are at $65,240 against $80,110 nationally, 0.81 of the country figure.
- Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses are at $52,750 against $64,400 nationally, 0.82 of the country figure.
- Emergency medical technicians are the closest of the five, at $36,800 against $44,470, or 0.83 of the country figure.
- South Dakota is 4 of 31 on this list. The five lags are not one percentage you can stamp on every letter.
For recruiters
- Rewrite the speech-language offer before you rewrite the employer brand.
- Pull the nurse range off the national median. The local nurse median is the one candidates already know.
FAQ
- Are these posted wages or open jobs?
- No. The table is a government survey or a designation file.
- What should a recruiter do first?
- Follow the recruiter note on this page.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Related hiring pages
Methodology
An occupation is included only when the South Dakota OEWS median is at most 0.97 times the U.S. median for the same occupation. The 5 lowest comparisons are shown. States with fewer than 5 such occupations are omitted, rather than filled with occupations at or above the U.S. median. OEWS May 2025. Sorted by the lowest comparison, South Dakota is 4 of 31. A row links to the South Dakota metro page with the highest public market difficulty score for that occupation when one is published, and otherwise to the occupation page on the hiring grid. An unpublished percentile or employment count is shown as unpublished rather than replaced with a zero. The wages are annual OEWS figures. They are not job listings and they are not an employer's current offer. Read the comparison beside the dollar figures: a high state wage can still sit under the national median for that occupation, and a lower state wage can still sit above it. Rounded figures in the prose: $65,680 is stated as about $65.7K. $97,870 is stated as about $97.9K. a comparison of 0.67 is stated as 33 percent. $36,800 is stated as about $36.8K. $44,470 is stated as about $44.5K. a comparison of 0.83 is stated as 17 percent. Rounded figures in the prose: $78,060 is stated as about $78.1K. a comparison of 0.80 is stated as 20 percent. $65,240 is stated as about $65.2K. a comparison of 0.81 is stated as 19 percent. $52,750 is stated as about $52.8K. a comparison of 0.82 is stated as 18 percent.
Sources
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