Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| South Dakota | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $51,830 | $67,290 | -23% |
| Median hourly wage | $24.92 | $32.35 | -23% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $58,499.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a School Counselor in South Dakota is $51,830, or about $24.92 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for School Counselors is $67,290. South Dakota is -23% below the national median.
Entry-level school counselors in South Dakota typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 1,000 school counselor jobs on record and a median salary of $51,830, South Dakota offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, school counselors rank 290 of the 563 occupations reported in South Dakota — higher than 48% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Social Workers, All Other at $93,760, Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists at $66,870, Clergy at $59,860 — 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, school counselors rank 290 of the 563 occupations reported in South Dakota — higher than 48% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in South Dakota | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Social Workers, All Other | $93,760 | $130 |
| Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists | $66,870 | $280 |
| Clergy | $59,860 | $140 |
| Healthcare Social Workers | $57,510 | $790 |
| Health Education Specialists | $57,370 | $190 |
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | $53,650 | $1,710 |
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.