Tile setter salary in South Dakota
Median $24.34 an hour for 30 tile setters, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 2002 and the state's own outlook.
Tile setter pay in South Dakota: the full range
South Dakota ranks 24th of 47 states for median tile setter pay, and 17th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $27.47). 30 tile setters work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.8× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $18.59 – $23.34 | $38,660 – $48,540 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $23.34 – $32.61 | $48,540 – $67,830 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $32.61 – $32.61 | $67,830 – $67,830 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Tile setter wages in South Dakota over time
Table
| Year | South Dakota $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | $15.44 | $27.63 | $17.20 | 50 |
| 2003 | $13.84 | $24.22 | $17.12 | 70 |
| 2004 | $15.54 | $26.48 | $17.02 | 70 |
| 2005 | $14.79 | $24.38 | $17.56 | 80 |
| 2006 | $13.03 | $20.81 | $17.59 | — |
| 2007 | $13.69 | $21.26 | $18.61 | — |
| 2011 | $17.00 | $24.33 | $17.83 | — |
| 2012 | $17.10 | $23.98 | $17.81 | 50 |
| 2013 | $17.43 | $24.09 | $18.06 | — |
| 2014 | $20.34 | $27.66 | $18.74 | 60 |
| 2015 | $21.29 | $28.92 | $18.94 | 80 |
| 2016 | $21.67 | $29.07 | $19.45 | 70 |
| 2017 | $21.64 | $28.42 | $20.04 | 100 |
| 2018 | $16.72 | $21.44 | $20.12 | — |
| 2019 | $17.95 | $22.60 | $20.70 | 350 |
| 2020 | $18.20 | $22.64 | $21.26 | 470 |
| 2021 | $17.78 | $21.12 | $22.99 | 130 |
| 2022 | $20.00 | $22.00 | $23.24 | 160 |
| 2023 | $21.79 | $23.02 | $23.52 | 120 |
| 2024 | $21.37 | $21.93 | $25.11 | 110 |
| 2025 | $24.34 | $24.34 | $26.77 | 30 |
In today's dollars, the median tile setter wage in South Dakota changed by -15.8% over the last ten years of data and by +7.7% since 2019.
Are there more tile setter jobs in South Dakota?
BLS counted 30 tile setters in South Dakota in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 48%. 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 tile setters in South Dakota
South Dakota's labor market agency projects the number of tile setters in the state to change by +15.1% between 2024 and 2034, from 140 to 160, with about 10 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +9.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 30 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: South Dakota labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in South Dakota?
Keep comparing
Tile setter pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in South Dakota
More on South Dakota
Questions this page answers
How much do tile setters make in South Dakota?
The median tile setter in South Dakota earned $24.34 an hour ($50,640 a year) in May 2025, 9% below the national median of $26.77. The middle half earn $23.34–$32.61; the top 10% earn more than $32.61.
Where does South Dakota rank for tile setter pay?
South Dakota ranks 24th of 47 states for tile setter pay, with a median of $24.34 an hour, and 17th after adjusting for South Dakota's cost of living (BEA price parity 88.6, US = 100).
What is the union tile setter rate in South Dakota?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a tile setter classification for most South Dakota counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many tile setters work in South Dakota?
BLS counted 30 tile setters in South Dakota in May 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.33; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is tile setter work growing in South Dakota?
South Dakota's labor market agency projects +15.1% growth for tile setters between 2024 and 2034, from 140 to 160 jobs.
How many tile setter openings a year are there in South Dakota?
South Dakota projects about 10 openings a year for tile setters over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 3,300 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, South Dakota and metro areas, SOC 47-2044. 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.