Skilled Wages

Carpenter salary in South Dakota

Median $23.14 an hour for 4,560 carpenters, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$23.14/hrMedian hourly wageSouth Dakota, May data
$48,140/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.14 – $31.6810th to 90th percentilehourly range
4,560Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Carpenter pay in South Dakota: the full range

Wage percentiles, South DakotaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrSouth Dakota: 10th $18.14 · 25th $20.29 · median $23.14 · 75th $28.87 · 90th $31.68South Dakota$23.14$18.14$31.68United States: 10th $19.43 · 25th $23.32 · median $29.12 · 75th $36.94 · 90th $48.03United States$29.12
Hourly wage percentiles for carpenters: South Dakota vs United States, May 2025.

South Dakota ranks 49th of 51 states for median carpenter pay, and 43rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.12). 4,560 carpenters work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.7× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$18.14 – $20.29$37,720 – $42,190roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$20.29 – $28.87$42,190 – $60,060the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$28.87 – $31.68$60,060 – $65,890the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Carpenter pay by metro in South Dakota

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrSioux City: $24.57Sioux City$24.57Sioux Falls: $23.75Sioux Falls$23.75Rapid City: $23.39Rapid City$23.39
Median hourly wage for carpenters by metro area in South Dakota, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Sioux City$17.18$24.57$28.40$34.493506% above
Sioux Falls$18.80$23.75$26.21$32.471,6403% above
Rapid City$18.15$23.39$26.22$30.488701% above

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Carpenter wages in South Dakota over time

South Dakota, 1999-2025South DakotaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$29.12United States$23.14South Dakota
Median hourly wage for carpenters, South Dakota vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearSouth Dakota $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$10.78$20.83$15.352,050
2000$11.38$21.28$15.693,270
2001$11.87$21.58$16.093,230
2002$12.20$21.83$16.443,180
2003$12.09$21.15$16.473,440
2004$12.32$21.00$16.783,290
2005$12.49$20.59$17.113,770
2006$12.92$20.63$17.574,070
2007$13.90$21.58$18.113,940
2008$14.38$21.50$18.724,240
2009$14.19$21.29$18.984,120
2010$14.22$20.99$19.004,030
2011$14.53$20.80$19.243,730
2012$15.06$21.12$19.203,760
2013$15.19$20.99$19.473,720
2014$15.41$20.96$19.634,020
2015$15.71$21.34$20.243,940
2016$16.21$21.74$20.964,110
2017$16.59$21.79$21.714,100
2018$16.94$21.72$22.404,130
2019$17.35$21.85$23.244,050
2020$17.74$22.07$23.813,970
2021$18.08$21.48$23.204,270
2022$18.62$20.48$24.714,340
2023$20.43$21.59$27.094,320
2024$22.36$22.95$28.514,440
2025$23.14$23.14$29.124,560

In today's dollars, the median carpenter wage in South Dakota changed by +8.4% over the last ten years of data and by +5.9% since 2019.

Are there more carpenter jobs in South Dakota?

+12.6%Jobs since 20194,050 then, 4,560 in 2025
+15.7%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
10.0Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 2.3× the US share, 2nd of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of carpenters counted in South Dakota has changed by +122.4%, against -13.1% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +12.6%.

Carpenters in South Dakota vs United States, 1999 = 100South DakotaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages50100150200250200020052010201520202025222South Dakota87United States
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, South Dakota vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearSouth Dakota jobsSouth Dakota indexUS index
19992,050100100
20003,270160111
20013,230158110
20023,180155111
20033,440168110
20043,290160114
20053,770184121
20064,070198128
20073,940192126
20084,240207117
20094,12020196
20104,03019780
20113,73018275
20123,76018374
20133,72018275
20144,02019680
20153,94019283
20164,11020088
20174,10020090
20184,13020293
20194,05019895
20203,97019491
20214,27020887
20224,34021290
20234,32021191
20244,44021790
20254,56022287

Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.

Outlook for carpenters in South Dakota

+9.6%Projected growth in South Dakota2024–2034, state agency
500Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
5,920Jobs in 20246,480 projected for 2034
+3.9%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

South Dakota's labor market agency projects the number of carpenters in the state to change by +9.6% between 2024 and 2034, from 5,920 to 6,480, with about 500 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +3.9% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 4,560 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: South Dakota labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for carpenters in South Dakota

On federally funded construction in South Dakota, contractors must pay carpenters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 66 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $20.58). 66 of the 66 counties still use a survey rate dated 2014 or earlier (for example Aurora County at $20.11). The market median for the state is $23.14.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, SDAurora: $20.11 (survey)Beadle: $20.65 (survey)Bennett: $16.99 (survey)Bon Homme: $20.11 (survey)Brookings: $20.65 (survey)Brown: $22.07 (survey)Brule: $16.99 (survey)Buffalo: $20.65 (survey)Butte: $20.58 (survey)Campbell: $20.58 (survey)Charles Mix: $20.11 (survey)Clark: $20.65 (survey)Clay: $20.11 (survey)Codington: $20.65 (survey)Corson: $20.58 (survey)Custer: $27.36 (survey)Davison: $20.11 (survey)Day: $20.65 (survey)Deuel: $20.65 (survey)Dewey: $20.58 (survey)Douglas: $20.11 (survey)Edmunds: $20.65 (survey)Fall River: $16.99 (survey)Faulk: $20.65 (survey)Grant: $20.65 (survey)Gregory: $16.99 (survey)Haakon: $20.58 (survey)Hamlin: $20.65 (survey)Hand: $20.65 (survey)Hanson: $20.11 (survey)Harding: $17.84 (survey)Hughes: $20.41 (survey)Hutchinson: $20.11 (survey)Hyde: $20.65 (survey)Jackson: $16.99 (survey)Jerauld: $20.65 (survey)Jones: $16.99 (survey)Kingsbury: $20.65 (survey)Lake: $20.11 (survey)Lawrence: $20.64 (survey)Lincoln: $25.44 (survey)Lyman: $16.99 (survey)McCook: $25.44 (survey)McPherson: $20.65 (survey)Marshall: $20.65 (survey)Meade: $18.67 (survey)Mellette: $16.99 (survey)Miner: $20.11 (survey)Minnehaha: $26.14 (survey)Moody: $20.11 (survey)Oglala Lakota: $16.99 (survey)Pennington: $23.89 (survey)Perkins: $20.58 (survey)Potter: $20.58 (survey)Roberts: $20.65 (survey)Sanborn: $20.11 (survey)Spink: $20.65 (survey)Stanley: $20.58 (survey)Sully: $20.58 (survey)Todd: $16.99 (survey)Tripp: $16.99 (survey)Turner: $25.44 (survey)Union: $25.44 (survey)Walworth: $20.58 (survey)Yankton: $20.11 (survey)Ziebach: $20.58 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$20.11$20.41$20.65survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for carpenters by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (survey)$22$24$26$28/hrCuster (Rapid City): market median $23.39, prevailing (survey) $27.36, gap +$3.97Custer (Rapid City)+$3.97Minnehaha (Sioux Falls): market median $23.75, prevailing (survey) $26.14, gap +$2.39Minnehaha (Sioux Falls)+$2.39Union (Sioux City): market median $24.57, prevailing (survey) $25.44, gap +$0.87Union (Sioux City)+$0.87
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for carpenters, metro counties in South Dakota.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
CusterSurvey SUSD2012-022 2014-08-21$19.48$7.88$27.36SD20260025
MinnehahaSurvey SUSD2012-025 2014-08-21$17.61$8.53$26.14SD20260028
LincolnSurvey SUSD2012-023 2014-08-21$17.41$8.03$25.44SD20260026
McCookSurvey SUSD2012-028 2014-08-21$17.41$8.03$25.44SD20260031
TurnerSurvey SUSD2012-028 2014-08-21$17.41$8.03$25.44SD20260031
UnionSurvey SUSD2012-027 2014-08-21$17.41$8.03$25.44SD20260030
PenningtonSurvey SUSD2012-026 2014-08-21$19.78$4.11$23.89SD20260029
BrownSurvey SUSD2012-003 2014-08-21$19.25$2.82$22.07SD20260006
BeadleSurvey SUSD2012-018 2014-08-21$17.28$3.37$20.65SD20260021
BrookingsSurvey SUSD2012-002 2014-08-21$17.28$3.37$20.65SD20260005
BuffaloSurvey SUSD2012-004 2014-08-21$17.28$3.37$20.65SD20260007
ClarkSurvey SUSD2012-018 2014-08-21$17.28$3.37$20.65SD20260021
CodingtonSurvey SUSD2012-008 2014-08-21$17.28$3.37$20.65SD20260011
DaySurvey SUSD2012-018 2014-08-21$17.28$3.37$20.65SD20260021
DeuelSurvey SUSD2012-018 2014-08-21$17.28$3.37$20.65SD20260021

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the South Dakota prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in South Dakota?

32.1kConstruction jobsSouth Dakota, 2026-09
+3.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k10k20k30k40k1990199520002005201020152020202532kSep 2026
Construction employment in South Dakota (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Carpenter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in South Dakota

More on South Dakota

Questions this page answers

How much do carpenters make in South Dakota?

The median carpenter in South Dakota earned $23.14 an hour ($48,140 a year) in May 2025, 21% below the national median of $29.12. The middle half earn $20.29–$28.87; the top 10% earn more than $31.68.

Where does South Dakota rank for carpenter pay?

South Dakota ranks 49th of 51 states for carpenter pay, with a median of $23.14 an hour, and 43rd after adjusting for South Dakota's cost of living (BEA price parity 88.6, US = 100).

What is the union carpenter rate in South Dakota?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a carpenter classification for most South Dakota counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many carpenters work in South Dakota?

BLS counted 4,560 carpenters in South Dakota in May 2025, 10.0 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 2.32; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is carpenter work growing in South Dakota?

The BLS employer survey count of carpenters in South Dakota went from 3,940 in 2015 to 4,560 in 2025, +15.7%, and +12.6% since 2019. South Dakota's labor market agency projects +9.6% growth for carpenters between 2024 and 2034, from 5,920 to 6,480 jobs.

How many carpenter openings a year are there in South Dakota?

South Dakota projects about 500 openings a year for carpenters over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 62,800 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, South Dakota and metro areas, SOC 47-2031. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: South Dakota labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.