Skilled Wages

Electrician salary in South Dakota

Median $29.51 an hour for 2,980 electricians, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$29.51/hrMedian hourly wageSouth Dakota, May data
$61,390/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.31 – $38.4910th to 90th percentilehourly range
2,980Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Electrician 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 $21.31 · 25th $23.87 · median $29.51 · 75th $34.83 · 90th $38.49South Dakota$29.51$21.31$38.49United States: 10th $20.50 · 25th $23.76 · median $30.38 · 75th $40.36 · 90th $52.17United States$30.38
Hourly wage percentiles for electricians: South Dakota vs United States, May 2025.

South Dakota ranks 36th of 51 states for median electrician pay, and 30th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $33.31). 2,980 electricians work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.8× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$21.31 – $23.87$44,320 – $49,660roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$23.87 – $34.83$49,660 – $72,450the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$34.83 – $38.49$72,450 – $80,060the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Electrician pay by metro in South Dakota

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrSioux City: $35.54Sioux City$35.54Sioux Falls: $29.55Sioux Falls$29.55Rapid City: $29.40Rapid City$29.40
Median hourly wage for electricians by metro area in South Dakota, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Sioux City$22.41$35.54$41.09$40.8330020% above
Sioux Falls$22.19$29.55$32.62$38.871,330about the same as
Rapid City$19.49$29.40$32.96$37.76460about the same as

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

Electrician wages in South Dakota over time

South Dakota, 1999-2025South DakotaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$30.38United States$29.51South Dakota
Median hourly wage for electricians, South Dakota vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearSouth Dakota $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$15.28$29.53$19.131,440
2000$15.53$29.03$19.291,430
2001$15.37$27.94$19.601,510
2002$15.53$27.79$19.901,460
2003$14.71$25.74$20.041,430
2004$15.86$27.03$20.331,600
2005$16.42$27.07$20.571,540
2006$17.32$27.66$20.971,600
2007$18.21$28.27$21.531,710
2008$18.87$28.22$22.321,810
2009$19.41$29.13$22.681,660
2010$19.68$29.06$23.201,550
2011$19.96$28.57$23.711,640
2012$19.92$27.93$23.961,660
2013$19.94$27.56$24.281,750
2014$20.96$28.50$24.571,770
2015$22.20$30.15$24.942,040
2016$21.83$29.28$25.352,050
2017$21.43$28.15$26.012,230
2018$21.42$27.46$26.532,230
2019$21.96$27.65$27.012,190
2020$22.58$28.09$27.362,230
2021$23.26$27.64$28.872,220
2022$24.73$27.20$28.962,230
2023$27.76$29.33$29.612,650
2024$28.15$28.89$29.982,790
2025$29.51$29.51$30.382,980

In today's dollars, the median electrician wage in South Dakota changed by -2.1% over the last ten years of data and by +6.7% since 2019.

Are there more electrician jobs in South Dakota?

6.5Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.3× the US share, 7th of 51 states

BLS counted 2,980 electricians in South Dakota in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 6%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.

Outlook for electricians in South Dakota

+15.7%Projected growth in South Dakota2024–2034, state agency
330Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
3,090Jobs in 20243,580 projected for 2034
+9.2%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

South Dakota's labor market agency projects the number of electricians in the state to change by +15.7% between 2024 and 2034, from 3,090 to 3,580, with about 330 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +9.2% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 2,980 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 electricians in South Dakota

On federally funded construction in South Dakota, contractors must pay electricians at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 48 of the 66 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $53.15 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $32.33). 18 of the 66 counties still use a survey rate dated 2014 or earlier (for example Butte County at $32.33). The market median for the state is $29.51.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, SDAurora: $53.15 (union)Beadle: $53.15 (union)Bennett: $53.15 (union)Bon Homme: $53.15 (union)Brookings: $53.15 (union)Brown: $53.15 (union)Brule: $53.15 (union)Buffalo: $53.15 (union)Butte: $32.33 (survey)Campbell: $32.33 (survey)Charles Mix: $53.15 (union)Clark: $53.15 (union)Clay: $53.15 (union)Codington: $53.15 (union)Corson: $32.33 (survey)Custer: $22.58 (survey)Davison: $53.15 (union)Day: $53.15 (union)Deuel: $53.15 (union)Dewey: $32.33 (survey)Douglas: $53.15 (union)Edmunds: $53.15 (union)Fall River: $53.15 (union)Faulk: $53.15 (union)Grant: $53.15 (union)Gregory: $53.15 (union)Haakon: $32.33 (survey)Hamlin: $53.15 (union)Hand: $53.15 (union)Hanson: $53.15 (union)Harding: $32.33 (survey)Hughes: $32.33 (survey)Hutchinson: $53.15 (union)Hyde: $53.15 (union)Jackson: $53.15 (union)Jerauld: $53.15 (union)Jones: $53.15 (union)Kingsbury: $53.15 (union)Lake: $53.15 (union)Lawrence: $32.33 (survey)Lincoln: $53.15 (union)Lyman: $53.15 (union)McCook: $53.15 (union)McPherson: $53.15 (union)Marshall: $53.15 (union)Meade: $21.26 (survey)Mellette: $53.15 (union)Miner: $53.15 (union)Minnehaha: $53.15 (union)Moody: $53.15 (union)Oglala Lakota: $53.15 (union)Pennington: $23.08 (survey)Perkins: $32.33 (survey)Potter: $32.33 (survey)Roberts: $53.15 (union)Sanborn: $53.15 (union)Spink: $53.15 (union)Stanley: $32.33 (survey)Sully: $32.33 (survey)Todd: $53.15 (union)Tripp: $53.15 (union)Turner: $53.15 (union)Union: $53.15 (union)Walworth: $32.33 (survey)Yankton: $30.29 (survey)Ziebach: $32.33 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$32.33survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for electricians by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)Prevailing (survey)$20$30$40$50$60/hrLincoln (Sioux Falls): market median $29.55, prevailing (union) $53.15, gap +$23.60Lincoln (Sioux Falls)+$23.60Union (Sioux City): market median $35.54, prevailing (union) $53.15, gap +$17.61Union (Sioux City)+$17.61Pennington (Rapid City): market median $29.40, prevailing (survey) $23.08, gap −$6.32Pennington (Rapid City)−$6.32
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for electricians, metro counties in South Dakota.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AuroraUnion ELEC0426-002 2025-06-01$36.32$16.83$53.15SD20260004
BeadleUnion ELEC0426-002 2025-06-01$36.32$16.83$53.15SD20260021
BennettUnion ELEC0426-002 2025-06-01$36.32$16.83$53.15SD20260022
Bon HommeUnion ELEC0426-002 2025-06-01$36.32$16.83$53.15SD20260023
BrookingsUnion ELEC0426-002 2025-06-01$36.32$16.83$53.15SD20260005
BrownUnion ELEC0426-002 2025-06-01$36.32$16.83$53.15SD20260006
BruleUnion ELEC0426-002 2025-06-01$36.32$16.83$53.15SD20260022
BuffaloUnion ELEC0426-002 2025-06-01$36.32$16.83$53.15SD20260007
Charles MixUnion ELEC0426-002 2025-06-01$36.32$16.83$53.15SD20260010
ClarkUnion ELEC0426-002 2025-06-01$36.32$16.83$53.15SD20260021
ClayUnion ELEC0426-002 2025-06-01$36.32$16.83$53.15SD20260023
CodingtonUnion ELEC0426-002 2025-06-01$36.32$16.83$53.15SD20260011
DavisonUnion ELEC0426-002 2025-06-01$36.32$16.83$53.15SD20260023
DayUnion ELEC0426-002 2025-06-01$36.32$16.83$53.15SD20260021
DeuelUnion ELEC0426-002 2025-06-01$36.32$16.83$53.15SD20260021

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.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at electrical contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just electricians), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages. Across the 45 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 12,682 in 2015 to 17,169 in 2025, +35.4%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Minnehaha County821,363$89,909$1,729
Beadle County646$79,681$1,532
Pennington County54573$76,688$1,475
Hamlin County765$73,783$1,419
Charles Mix County45$68,403$1,315
Butte County741$68,252$1,313
Lincoln County33270$64,764$1,245
Union County537$62,872$1,209
Hughes County834$59,366$1,142
Clay County415$57,570$1,107
Sanborn County310$55,297$1,063
Yankton County1247$51,212$985

Keep comparing

Electrician pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in South Dakota

More on South Dakota

Questions this page answers

How much do electricians make in South Dakota?

The median electrician in South Dakota earned $29.51 an hour ($61,390 a year) in May 2025, 3% below the national median of $30.38. The middle half earn $23.87–$34.83; the top 10% earn more than $38.49.

Where does South Dakota rank for electrician pay?

South Dakota ranks 36th of 51 states for electrician pay, with a median of $29.51 an hour, and 30th after adjusting for South Dakota's cost of living (BEA price parity 88.6, US = 100).

What is the union electrician rate in South Dakota?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for electricians in 48 counties, with a typical package of $53.15 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many electricians work in South Dakota?

BLS counted 2,980 electricians in South Dakota in May 2025, 6.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.34; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is electrician work growing in South Dakota?

South Dakota's labor market agency projects +15.7% growth for electricians between 2024 and 2034, from 3,090 to 3,580 jobs.

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

South Dakota projects about 330 openings a year for electricians over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 72,700 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, South Dakota and metro areas, SOC 47-2111. 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.