SOC 23-2011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Paralegals and Legal Assistants — South Dakota
South Dakota · 2 metro areas compared
The median wage here is $58,320 a year, within a few percent of the national median of $62,890.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow more slowly than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +0.2%
- Openings per year
- 39,300
- Typical entry-level education
- Associate'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
The median wage here is $58,320 a year, within a few percent of the national median of $62,890. Half of workers earn between $53,730 and $67,200. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $48,890 and the ninetieth at $84,090.
The area has 600 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 1.3 of every thousand jobs. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, South Dakota ranks 38th by median wage. Sioux Falls leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $60,060. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 244th of 563 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $48,890 | −22.3% |
| 25th | $53,730 | −14.6% |
| Median (50th) | $58,320 | −7.3% |
| 75th | $67,200 | +6.9% |
| 90th | $84,090 | +33.7% |
| Mean | $62,260 | −1.0% |
Highest-paying metro areas in South Dakota
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sioux Falls | $60,060 | 260 | |
| 2 | Rapid City | $56,720 | 150 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in South Dakota run 11.4% below the national average, so the median of $58,320 goes as far as $65,824 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 4.7% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$58,320as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$65,824US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $58,320 a year, 7.3% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $48,890 to $84,090 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 600 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 38th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Sioux Falls, at $60,060.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Paralegals and Legal Assistants in South Dakota?
The median annual wage is $58,320, or $28.04 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 $62,890, so pay in South Dakota is 7.3% 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 $84,090 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $48,890 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 Sioux Falls, at $60,060 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 600 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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