Skilled Wages

Insulation worker salary in South Dakota

Median $22.03 an hour for 340 insulation workers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since n/a and the state's own outlook.

$22.03/hrMedian hourly wageSouth Dakota, May data
$45,820/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$17.25 – $29.0010th to 90th percentilehourly range
340Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Insulation worker pay in South Dakota: the full range

Wage percentiles, South DakotaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrSouth Dakota: 10th $17.25 · 25th $17.87 · median $22.03 · 75th $28.18 · 90th $29.00South Dakota$22.03$17.25$29.00United States: 10th $17.80 · 25th $20.77 · median $23.62 · 75th $29.32 · 90th $37.59United States$23.62
Hourly wage percentiles for insulation workers: South Dakota vs United States, May 2025.

South Dakota ranks 41st of 48 states for median insulation worker pay, and 26th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $24.86). 340 insulation workers 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$17.25 – $17.87$35,890 – $37,170roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$17.87 – $28.18$37,170 – $58,620the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$28.18 – $29.00$58,620 – $60,320the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Insulation worker pay by metro in South Dakota

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrSioux City: $23.56Sioux City$23.56Rapid City: $22.00Rapid City$22.00Sioux Falls: $21.66Sioux Falls$21.66
Median hourly wage for insulation workers by metro area in South Dakota, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Sioux City$17.86$23.56$27.24$34.49907% above
Rapid City$17.55$22.00$24.66$28.3840about the same as
Sioux Falls$17.63$21.66$23.91$28.991702% below

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

Are there more insulation worker jobs in South Dakota?

0.7Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 2.6× the US share, 3rd of 47 states

BLS counted 340 insulation workers in South Dakota in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 21%. 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 insulation workers in South Dakota

+10.7%Projected growth in South Dakota2024–2034, state agency
20Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
250Jobs in 2024280 projected for 2034
+2.4%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

South Dakota's labor market agency projects the number of insulation workers in the state to change by +10.7% between 2024 and 2034, from 250 to 280, with about 20 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.4% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 340 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: South Dakota labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page), first of this trade's two occupation codes.

Union scale and prevailing wage for insulation workers in South Dakota

On federally funded construction in South Dakota, contractors must pay insulation workers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 58 of the 66 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $89.37 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $15.20). 8 of the 66 counties still use a survey rate dated 2014 or earlier (for example Custer County at $15.20). The market median for the state is $22.03.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, SDAurora: $89.37 (union)Beadle: $89.37 (union)Bennett: $89.37 (union)Bon Homme: $89.37 (union)Brookings: $89.37 (union)Brown: $89.37 (union)Brule: $89.37 (union)Buffalo: $89.37 (union)Butte: $89.37 (union)Campbell: $89.37 (union)Charles Mix: $89.37 (union)Clark: $89.37 (union)Clay: $89.37 (union)Codington: $89.37 (union)Corson: $89.37 (union)Custer: $15.20 (survey)Davison: $89.37 (union)Day: $89.37 (union)Deuel: $89.37 (union)Dewey: $89.37 (union)Douglas: $89.37 (union)Edmunds: $89.37 (union)Fall River: $89.37 (union)Faulk: $89.37 (union)Grant: $89.37 (union)Gregory: $89.37 (union)Haakon: $89.37 (union)Hamlin: $89.37 (union)Hand: $89.37 (union)Hanson: $89.37 (union)Harding: $89.37 (union)Hughes: $89.37 (union)Hutchinson: $89.37 (union)Hyde: $89.37 (union)Jackson: $89.37 (union)Jerauld: $89.37 (union)Jones: $89.37 (union)Kingsbury: $89.37 (union)Lake: $89.37 (union)Lawrence: $89.37 (union)Lincoln: $15.20 (survey)Lyman: $89.37 (union)McCook: $15.20 (survey)McPherson: $89.37 (union)Marshall: $89.37 (union)Meade: $15.20 (survey)Mellette: $89.37 (union)Miner: $89.37 (union)Minnehaha: $15.20 (survey)Moody: $89.37 (union)Oglala Lakota: $89.37 (union)Pennington: $15.20 (survey)Perkins: $89.37 (union)Potter: $89.37 (union)Roberts: $89.37 (union)Sanborn: $89.37 (union)Spink: $89.37 (union)Stanley: $89.37 (union)Sully: $89.37 (union)Todd: $89.37 (union)Tripp: $89.37 (union)Turner: $15.20 (survey)Union: $15.20 (survey)Walworth: $89.37 (union)Yankton: $89.37 (union)Ziebach: $89.37 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hrsurvey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for insulation workers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (survey)$12.50$15$17.50$20$22.50$25/hrLincoln (Sioux Falls): market median $21.66, prevailing (survey) $15.20, gap −$6.46Lincoln (Sioux Falls)−$6.46Custer (Rapid City): market median $22.00, prevailing (survey) $15.20, gap −$6.80Custer (Rapid City)−$6.80Union (Sioux City): market median $23.56, prevailing (survey) $15.20, gap −$8.36Union (Sioux City)−$8.36
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for insulation workers, metro counties in South Dakota.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AuroraUnion ASBE0034-007 2025-06-09$55.34$34.03$89.37SD20260004
BeadleUnion ASBE0034-007 2025-06-09$55.34$34.03$89.37SD20260021
BennettUnion ASBE0034-007 2025-06-09$55.34$34.03$89.37SD20260022
Bon HommeUnion ASBE0034-007 2025-06-09$55.34$34.03$89.37SD20260023
BrookingsUnion ASBE0034-007 2025-06-09$55.34$34.03$89.37SD20260005
BrownUnion ASBE0034-007 2025-06-09$55.34$34.03$89.37SD20260006
BruleUnion ASBE0034-007 2025-06-09$55.34$34.03$89.37SD20260022
BuffaloUnion ASBE0034-007 2025-06-09$55.34$34.03$89.37SD20260007
ButteUnion ASBE0034-007 2025-06-09$55.34$34.03$89.37SD20260008
CampbellUnion ASBE0034-007 2025-06-09$55.34$34.03$89.37SD20260009
Charles MixUnion ASBE0034-007 2025-06-09$55.34$34.03$89.37SD20260010
ClarkUnion ASBE0034-007 2025-06-09$55.34$34.03$89.37SD20260021
ClayUnion ASBE0034-007 2025-06-09$55.34$34.03$89.37SD20260023
CodingtonUnion ASBE0034-007 2025-06-09$55.34$34.03$89.37SD20260011
CorsonUnion ASBE0034-007 2025-06-09$55.34$34.03$89.37SD20260024

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

Insulation worker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in South Dakota

More on South Dakota

Questions this page answers

How much do insulation workers make in South Dakota?

The median insulation worker in South Dakota earned $22.03 an hour ($45,820 a year) in May 2025, 7% below the national median of $23.62. The middle half earn $17.87–$28.18; the top 10% earn more than $29.00.

Where does South Dakota rank for insulation worker pay?

South Dakota ranks 41st of 48 states for insulation worker pay, with a median of $22.03 an hour, and 26th after adjusting for South Dakota's cost of living (BEA price parity 88.6, US = 100).

What is the union insulation worker rate in South Dakota?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for insulation workers in 58 counties, with a typical package of $89.37 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many insulation workers work in South Dakota?

BLS counted 340 insulation workers in South Dakota in May 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 2.59; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is insulation worker work growing in South Dakota?

South Dakota's labor market agency projects +10.7% growth for insulation workers between 2024 and 2034, from 250 to 280 jobs.

How many insulation worker openings a year are there in South Dakota?

South Dakota projects about 20 openings a year for insulation workers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 3,000 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, South Dakota and metro areas, SOC 47-2131, 47-2132. 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.