Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| South Dakota | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $58,690 | $57,715 | +2% |
| Median hourly wage | $28.22 | $27.75 | +2% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $66,242.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Truck Driver in South Dakota is $58,690, or about $28.22 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Truck Drivers is $57,715. South Dakota is +2% above the national median.
Entry-level truck drivers in South Dakota typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 6,470 truck driver jobs on record and a median salary of $58,690, South Dakota offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, truck drivers rank 240 of the 563 occupations reported in South Dakota — higher than 57% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Commercial Pilots at $83,710, Crane and Tower Operators at $71,000, Transportation Inspectors at $70,080 — 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, truck drivers rank 240 of the 563 occupations reported in South Dakota — higher than 57% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in South Dakota | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pilots | $83,710 | $320 |
| Crane and Tower Operators | $71,000 | $120 |
| Transportation Inspectors | $70,080 | $100 |
| Locomotive Engineers | $69,180 | $150 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors | $64,780 | $1,340 |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | $62,730 | $90 |
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.