Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| South Dakota | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $48,160 | $62,011 | -22% |
| Median hourly wage | $23.15 | $29.81 | -22% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $54,357.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Firefighter in South Dakota is $48,160, or about $23.15 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Firefighters is $62,011. South Dakota is -22% below the national median.
Entry-level firefighters in South Dakota typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 610 firefighter jobs on record and a median salary of $48,160, South Dakota offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 353 of the 563 occupations reported in South Dakota — higher than 37% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at $87,810, Detectives and Criminal Investigators at $77,730, First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers at $77,400 — all figures are median annual wages for South Dakota.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. South Dakota has no state income tax on wages, so take-home pay is closer to the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 93.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, firefighters rank 353 of the 563 occupations reported in South Dakota — higher than 37% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in South Dakota | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $87,810 | $190 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $77,730 | $250 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $77,400 | $80 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other | $76,400 | $40 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $72,420 | $120 |
| Fish and Game Wardens | $68,810 | $100 |
South Dakota has no state income tax on wages, so take-home pay is closer to the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 93.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 563 occupations in South Dakota.