SOC 29-1122 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Occupational Therapists — South Dakota
South Dakota · 2 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in South Dakota is $85,050 a year, trailing the national median of $100,330 by 15.2%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow much faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +13.8%
- Openings per year
- 10,200
- Typical entry-level education
- Master's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for South Dakota.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in South Dakota is $85,050 a year, trailing the national median of $100,330 by 15.2%. Half of workers earn between $80,720 and $99,940. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $65,820 and the ninetieth at $106,520.
The area has 490 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 1.1 of every thousand jobs. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, South Dakota ranks 48th by median wage. Rapid City leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $99,120. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 87th of 563 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $65,820 | −34.4% |
| 25th | $80,720 | −19.5% |
| Median (50th) | $85,050 | −15.2% |
| 75th | $99,940 | −0.4% |
| 90th | $106,520 | +6.2% |
| Mean | $88,150 | −12.1% |
Highest-paying metro areas in South Dakota
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rapid City | $99,120 | 80 | |
| 2 | Sioux Falls | $84,660 | 260 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in South Dakota run 11.4% below the national average, so the median of $85,050 goes as far as $95,993 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 4.3% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$85,050as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$95,993US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $85,050 a year, 15.2% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $65,820 to $106,520 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 490 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 48th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Rapid City, at $99,120.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Occupational Therapists in South Dakota?
The median annual wage is $85,050, or $40.89 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $100,330, so pay in South Dakota is 15.2% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in South Dakota earns more than $106,520 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $65,820 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Rapid City, at $99,120 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 490 jobs in this occupation in South Dakota. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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