South Dakota engineer salary
EstimateUpdated March 2025
What engineers earn across South Dakota, from published wage data — explore it city by city and discipline by discipline.
Typical pay
$90,956
South Dakota
Top earners
$130,400
Higher end
vs national
-24% vs national
U.S. $120,395
Cities
3
in this state
Engineers in South Dakota earn a blended median of $90,956 per year, -24% vs national, with top earners near $130,400. That blends 7 engineering occupations across 5,680 published jobs in South Dakota. Per-discipline figures below are published wage data, not modeled.
Engineering pay by role in South Dakota
Published wage data for each discipline in South Dakota. Disciplines without published data for this state are not listed.
| Engineering role | Pay band (10th–90th) | Median | 90th pct | Data | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Manager Architecture & Engineering | $152,540 | $215,360 | Verified | ||
| Electrical Engineer Architecture & Engineering | $101,930 | $133,670 | Verified | ||
| Civil Engineer Architecture & Engineering | $95,110 | $127,610 | Verified | ||
| Environmental Engineer Architecture & Engineering | $91,320 | $120,860 | Verified | ||
| Mechanical Engineer Architecture & Engineering | $90,590 | $128,810 | Verified | ||
| Industrial Engineer Architecture & Engineering | $89,450 | $133,720 | Verified | ||
| Software Engineer Software & Technology | $87,770 | $130,610 | Verified | ||
| Data Engineer Emerging | $87,770 | $130,610 | Estimate | ||
| AI Engineer Emerging | $87,770 | $130,610 | Estimate | ||
| Machine Learning Engineer Emerging | $87,770 | $130,610 | Estimate | ||
| Cloud Engineer Emerging | $87,770 | $130,610 | Estimate | ||
| DevOps Engineer Emerging | $87,770 | $130,610 | Estimate | ||
| Systems Engineer Architecture & Engineering | $82,970 | $135,950 | Estimate | ||
| Robotics Engineer Emerging | $82,970 | $135,950 | Estimate | ||
| Entry-Level Engineer Architecture & Engineering | $82,970 | $135,950 | Estimate | ||
| Senior Engineer Architecture & Engineering | $82,970 | $135,950 | Estimate |
- Verified
Engineering Manager
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$152,540
90th
$215,360
View details - Verified
Electrical Engineer
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$101,930
90th
$133,670
View details - Verified
Civil Engineer
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$95,110
90th
$127,610
View details - Verified
Environmental Engineer
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$91,320
90th
$120,860
View details - Verified
Mechanical Engineer
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$90,590
90th
$128,810
View details - Verified
Industrial Engineer
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$89,450
90th
$133,720
View details - Verified
Software Engineer
Software & Technology
Median
$87,770
90th
$130,610
View details - Estimate
Data Engineer
Emerging
Median
$87,770
90th
$130,610
View details - Estimate
AI Engineer
Emerging
Median
$87,770
90th
$130,610
View details - Estimate
Machine Learning Engineer
Emerging
Median
$87,770
90th
$130,610
View details - Estimate
Cloud Engineer
Emerging
Median
$87,770
90th
$130,610
View details - Estimate
DevOps Engineer
Emerging
Median
$87,770
90th
$130,610
View details - Estimate
Systems Engineer
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$82,970
90th
$135,950
View details - Estimate
Robotics Engineer
Emerging
Median
$82,970
90th
$135,950
View details - Estimate
Entry-Level Engineer
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$82,970
90th
$135,950
View details - Estimate
Senior Engineer
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$82,970
90th
$135,950
View details
Engineering salaries by city in South Dakota
Open a city for its full role breakdown — or add a city we don't cover yet.
Sioux Falls
$92,226
-23% vs national
View Sioux Falls salariesRapid City
$90,563
-25% vs national
View Rapid City salariesMore cities in South Dakota
We don't publish a separate estimate for these yet. Use the South Dakota estimate above as your starting point — and add your pay to put your city on the map.
Don't see your city? Submit your salary or request a city — new cities appear as engineers contribute.
What affects engineering pay in South Dakota
- ▹Local market. South Dakota pay runs -24% vs national for the typical engineer, driven by local demand and living costs.
- ▹Discipline mix. Software, petroleum, and engineering-management roles pull averages up; civil and environmental roles sit lower. Use the role table above for specifics.
- ▹Metro concentration. Pay clusters in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, which run above the statewide estimate.
- ▹Remote & experience.Remote roles often anchor to a company's HQ market rather than South Dakota; seniority can swing pay ±35% around the median.
Engineer salaries in South Dakota — FAQ
How much do engineers make in South Dakota?
What is the highest-paying engineering job in South Dakota?
Is South Dakota a good state for engineers?
Which cities in South Dakota pay engineers the most?
Source details
BLS publishes no single "engineer" occupation. This blends the published medians of 7 engineering occupations in South Dakota, weighted by local employment (5,680 jobs).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →