SOC 25-1065 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary — South Dakota
South Dakota
At $72,580, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary, 26.0% beneath the national figure of $98,070.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +2.0%
- Openings per year
- 1,600
- Typical entry-level education
- Doctoral or professional 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
At $72,580, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary, 26.0% beneath the national figure of $98,070. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $64,830 and $84,400. The lowest tenth earn under $59,740, while the highest tenth earn more than $101,620.
Employment stands at 30, or 0.1 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 45 states with published data for this occupation, South Dakota ranks 42nd by median wage. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 143rd of 563 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $59,740 | −39.1% |
| 25th | $64,830 | −33.9% |
| Median (50th) | $72,580 | −26.0% |
| 75th | $84,400 | −13.9% |
| 90th | $101,620 | +3.6% |
| Mean | $76,540 | −22.0% |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in South Dakota run 11.4% below the national average, so the median of $72,580 goes as far as $81,919 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 16.5% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$72,580as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$81,919US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $72,580 a year, 26.0% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $59,740 to $101,620 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 30 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 42nd of 45 states for this occupation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary in South Dakota?
The median annual wage is $72,580, 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 $98,070, so pay in South Dakota is 26.0% 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 $101,620 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $59,740 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.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 30 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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