Average Salaries in Rapid City, SD
Explore salaries across 305 occupations in Rapid City, SD. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $56.9K, -7.6% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates. Coverage: 305 occupations and 65,770 total jobs in Rapid City, SD.
How the metro compares
Rapid City, SD pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Rapid City, SD is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Computer And Information Systems Managers. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Rapid City, SD
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Rapid City, SD
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $158.7K | N/A |
| Pharmacists | $153.5K | 160 |
| Computer Network Architects | $150.4K | N/A |
| Financial Managers | $148.4K | 100 |
| Logisticians | $146.7K | 100 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $146.6K | 40 |
| General And Operations Managers | $128.3K | 650 |
| Dentists, General | $126.6K | 80 |
| Sales Managers | $124.9K | 70 |
| Physician Assistants | $122.2K | 130 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Rapid City, SD
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 2,870 | $32.6K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,640 | $29.2K |
| Registered Nurses | 2,600 | $69.5K |
| Cashiers | 2,250 | $29.3K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,680 | $35.9K |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, And Auditing Clerks | 1,670 | $45.1K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,600 | $32.5K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 1,320 | $29.1K |
| Receptionists And Information Clerks | 1,140 | $36.2K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,110 | $37.1K |
What Rapid City, SD specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Rapid City, SD than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Rapid City, SD
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Forest And Conservation Workers | 24.43 | $33.6K |
| Forest And Conservation Technicians | 9.11 | $54.3K |
| Motorcycle Mechanics | 8.56 | $47.3K |
| Zoologists And Wildlife Biologists | 7.72 | $63.2K |
| Airfield Operations Specialists | 7.62 | $40.1K |
| Foresters | 7.29 | $63.5K |
| Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, And Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 7.06 | $60.0K |
| Cooks, Short Order | 6.39 | $31.2K |
| Plant And System Operators, All Other | 5.59 | $65.7K |
| Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Except Sawing | 5.17 | $36.7K |
Peer markets
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90.4K | Training And Development Managers |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89.2K | Natural Sciences Managers |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80.1K | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $78.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| Vallejo, CA | $77.4K | Lawyers |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77.2K | Podiatrists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77.1K | Neurologists |
Common salary questions for Rapid City, SD
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.