Skilled Wages

Electrician salary in South Dakota

Median $29.51 an hour for 2,980 electricians, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$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 2026-09-28

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.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$21.31 – $23.87$44,320 – $49,660roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$23.87 – $34.83$49,660 – $72,450the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$34.83 – $38.49$72,450 – $80,060the 75th–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 $/hr90thJobsvs state
Sioux City$22.41$35.54$40.8330020% above
Sioux Falls$22.19$29.55$38.871,330about the same as
Rapid City$19.49$29.40$37.76460about the same as

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.

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 2026-09-28. 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?

33.2kConstruction jobsSouth Dakota, 2026-08
+3.8%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k10k20k30k40k1990199520002005201020152020202533kAug 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.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Minnehaha County1,363$89,909$1,729
Beadle County46$79,681$1,532
Pennington County573$76,688$1,475
Hamlin County65$73,783$1,419
Charles Mix County5$68,403$1,315
Butte County41$68,252$1,313
Lincoln County270$64,764$1,245
Union County37$62,872$1,209
Hughes County34$59,366$1,142
Clay County15$57,570$1,107
Sanborn County10$55,297$1,063
Yankton County47$51,212$985

Keep comparing

Electrician pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in 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).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, South Dakota and metro areas, SOC 47-2111.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.