Counties in North Dakota by wages and salaries paid

Cass County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 53 counties in 2015, at $5.76 billion. Sheridan County had the lowest, at $7.81 million. The median was $74.3 million and the figure for North Dakota was $23.45 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest5,757.7Cass County
Median74.353 counties
North Dakota23,447.1History

Map of counties, 2015

Adams County: 40.5 USD millionBarnes County: 199.9 USD millionBenson County: 85.2 USD millionBillings County: 23.6 USD millionBottineau County: 117.4 USD millionBowman County: 80.1 USD millionBurke County: 46.3 USD millionBurleigh County: 3,009.1 USD millionCass County: 5,757.7 USD millionCavalier County: 67.5 USD millionDickey County: 75 USD millionDivide County: 52.7 USD millionDunn County: 206.4 USD millionEddy County: 28.2 USD millionEmmons County: 34.1 USD millionFoster County: 73 USD millionGolden Valley County: 28.8 USD millionGrand Forks County: 1,959.1 USD millionGrant County: 23.2 USD millionGriggs County: 37.2 USD millionHettinger County: 34.7 USD millionKidder County: 26.9 USD millionLaMoure County: 57.8 USD millionLogan County: 21.4 USD millionMcHenry County: 57.3 USD millionMcIntosh County: 37.8 USD millionMcKenzie County: 879.7 USD millionMcLean County: 190 USD millionMercer County: 357.7 USD millionMorton County: 561.6 USD millionMountrail County: 507.7 USD millionNelson County: 35.5 USD millionOliver County: 70.6 USD millionPembina County: 170.2 USD millionPierce County: 74.3 USD millionRamsey County: 232.9 USD millionRansom County: 86 USD millionRenville County: 37.4 USD millionRichland County: 328.1 USD millionRolette County: 180.6 USD millionSargent County: 126.8 USD millionSheridan County: 7.8 USD millionSioux County: 67.3 USD millionSlope County: 10.8 USD millionStark County: 1,433.7 USD millionSteele County: 32 USD millionStutsman County: 479.4 USD millionTowner County: 26.6 USD millionTraill County: 142.5 USD millionWalsh County: 198.3 USD millionWard County: 2,113.6 USD millionWells County: 67 USD millionWilliams County: 2,848 USD million
  • Under 30
  • 30 to 50
  • 50 to 70
  • 70 to 180
  • 180 to 490
  • 490 and over
USD million, 2015. Source: BEA, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2015

Cass County: 5,757.7 USD millionCass County5,757.7Burleigh County: 3,009.1 USD millionBurleigh County3,009.1Williams County: 2,848 USD millionWilliams County2,848Ward County: 2,113.6 USD millionWard County2,113.6Grand Forks County: 1,959.1 USD millionGrand Forks County1,959.1Stark County: 1,433.7 USD millionStark County1,433.7McKenzie County: 879.7 USD millionMcKenzie County879.7Morton County: 561.6 USD millionMorton County561.6Mountrail County: 507.7 USD millionMountrail County507.7Stutsman County: 479.4 USD millionStutsman County479.4Mercer County: 357.7 USD millionMercer County357.7Richland County: 328.1 USD millionRichland County328.1Ramsey County: 232.9 USD millionRamsey County232.9Dunn County: 206.4 USD millionDunn County206.4Barnes County: 199.9 USD millionBarnes County199.9Walsh County: 198.3 USD millionWalsh County198.3McLean County: 190 USD millionMcLean County190Rolette County: 180.6 USD millionRolette County180.6Pembina County: 170.2 USD millionPembina County170.2Traill County: 142.5 USD millionTraill County142.5Sargent County: 126.8 USD millionSargent County126.8Bottineau County: 117.4 USD millionBottineau County117.4Ransom County: 86 USD millionRansom County86Benson County: 85.2 USD millionBenson County85.2Bowman County: 80.1 USD millionBowman County80.1Dickey County: 75 USD millionDickey County75Pierce County: 74.3 USD millionPierce County74.3Foster County: 73 USD millionFoster County73Oliver County: 70.6 USD millionOliver County70.6Cavalier County: 67.5 USD millionCavalier County67.5Sioux County: 67.3 USD millionSioux County67.3Wells County: 67 USD millionWells County67LaMoure County: 57.8 USD millionLaMoure County57.8McHenry County: 57.3 USD millionMcHenry County57.3Divide County: 52.7 USD millionDivide County52.7Burke County: 46.3 USD millionBurke County46.3Adams County: 40.5 USD millionAdams County40.5McIntosh County: 37.8 USD millionMcIntosh County37.8Renville County: 37.4 USD millionRenville County37.4Griggs County: 37.2 USD millionGriggs County37.2Nelson County: 35.5 USD millionNelson County35.5Hettinger County: 34.7 USD millionHettinger County34.7Emmons County: 34.1 USD millionEmmons County34.1Steele County: 32 USD millionSteele County32Golden Valley County: 28.8 USD millionGolden Valley County28.8Eddy County: 28.2 USD millionEddy County28.2Kidder County: 26.9 USD millionKidder County26.9Towner County: 26.6 USD millionTowner County26.6Billings County: 23.6 USD millionBillings County23.6Grant County: 23.2 USD millionGrant County23.2Logan County: 21.4 USD millionLogan County21.4Slope County: 10.8 USD millionSlope County10.8Sheridan County: 7.8 USD millionSheridan County7.8Cass County: 5,757.7 USD millionCass County5,757.7Burleigh County: 3,009.1 USD millionBurleigh County3,009.1Williams County: 2,848 USD millionWilliams County2,848Ward County: 2,113.6 USD millionWard County2,113.6Grand Forks County: 1,959.1 USD millionGrand Forks County1,959.1Stark County: 1,433.7 USD millionStark County1,433.7McKenzie County: 879.7 USD millionMcKenzie County879.7Morton County: 561.6 USD millionMorton County561.6Mountrail County: 507.7 USD millionMountrail County507.7Stutsman County: 479.4 USD millionStutsman County479.4Mercer County: 357.7 USD millionMercer County357.7Richland County: 328.1 USD millionRichland County328.1Ramsey County: 232.9 USD millionRamsey County232.9Dunn County: 206.4 USD millionDunn County206.4Barnes County: 199.9 USD millionBarnes County199.9Walsh County: 198.3 USD millionWalsh County198.3McLean County: 190 USD millionMcLean County190Rolette County: 180.6 USD millionRolette County180.6Pembina County: 170.2 USD millionPembina County170.2Traill County: 142.5 USD millionTraill County142.5Sargent County: 126.8 USD millionSargent County126.8Bottineau County: 117.4 USD millionBottineau County117.4Ransom County: 86 USD millionRansom County86Benson County: 85.2 USD millionBenson County85.2Bowman County: 80.1 USD millionBowman County80.1Dickey County: 75 USD millionDickey County75Pierce County: 74.3 USD millionPierce County74.3Foster County: 73 USD millionFoster County73Oliver County: 70.6 USD millionOliver County70.6Cavalier County: 67.5 USD millionCavalier County67.5Sioux County: 67.3 USD millionSioux County67.3Wells County: 67 USD millionWells County67LaMoure County: 57.8 USD millionLaMoure County57.8McHenry County: 57.3 USD millionMcHenry County57.3Divide County: 52.7 USD millionDivide County52.7Burke County: 46.3 USD millionBurke County46.3Adams County: 40.5 USD millionAdams County40.5McIntosh County: 37.8 USD millionMcIntosh County37.8Renville County: 37.4 USD millionRenville County37.4Griggs County: 37.2 USD millionGriggs County37.2Nelson County: 35.5 USD millionNelson County35.5Hettinger County: 34.7 USD millionHettinger County34.7Emmons County: 34.1 USD millionEmmons County34.1Steele County: 32 USD millionSteele County32Golden Valley County: 28.8 USD millionGolden Valley County28.8Eddy County: 28.2 USD millionEddy County28.2Kidder County: 26.9 USD millionKidder County26.9Towner County: 26.6 USD millionTowner County26.6Billings County: 23.6 USD millionBillings County23.6Grant County: 23.2 USD millionGrant County23.2Logan County: 21.4 USD millionLogan County21.4Slope County: 10.8 USD millionSlope County10.8Sheridan County: 7.8 USD millionSheridan County7.8
USD million. Source: BEA, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015
USD million
Change on 2014
1Cass County5,757.7+5.5%
2Burleigh County3,009.1+5.5%
3Williams County2,848-18.5%
4Ward County2,113.6-1.8%
5Grand Forks County1,959.1+5.1%
6Stark County1,433.7-14.7%
7McKenzie County879.7-6%
8Morton County561.6+3%
9Mountrail County507.7-15.5%
10Stutsman County479.4+5%
11Mercer County357.7+9.4%
12Richland County328.1+1.5%
13Ramsey County232.9+1.3%
14Dunn County206.4-15.9%
15Barnes County199.9+1.1%
16Walsh County198.3-1.9%
17McLean County190-0.3%
18Rolette County180.6+7.6%
19Pembina County170.2-1.4%
20Traill County142.5-1.3%
21Sargent County126.8+6.2%
22Bottineau County117.4-6.8%
23Ransom County86+0.1%
24Benson County85.2-4.7%
25Bowman County80.1-5.5%
26Dickey County75-4.4%
27Pierce County74.3+5.9%
28Foster County73-2.1%
29Oliver County70.6+8.9%
30Cavalier County67.5-0.9%
31Sioux County67.3-3.1%
32Wells County67-0.1%
33LaMoure County57.8-1.9%
34McHenry County57.3-2.2%
35Divide County52.7-8.7%
36Burke County46.3-19%
37Adams County40.5+1.3%
38McIntosh County37.8+1.6%
39Renville County37.4-23.6%
40Griggs County37.2-5.6%
41Nelson County35.5-5.3%
42Hettinger County34.7+0.6%
43Emmons County34.1-2.1%
44Steele County32+2.1%
45Golden Valley County28.8-10.7%
46Eddy County28.2-0.6%
47Kidder County26.9+1%
48Towner County26.6-1.3%
49Billings County23.6-18.9%
50Grant County23.2-5%
51Logan County21.4-2%
52Slope County10.8-46%
53Sheridan County7.8-6.3%

Other periods

About this ranking

Total wages and salaries paid to employees for jobs located in a place, including tips, bonuses and pay in kind, before deductions, in millions of current US dollars. United States: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional accounts, table SAINC4 line 50 for the nation and states and CAINC4 line 50 for counties.

Counted where the jobs are, not where the workers live, so places with many commuters coming in can pay more in wages than their residents receive in personal income (the District of Columbia does). Excludes employer contributions to pensions, insurance and social security, and the income of the self-employed.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2026). CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents (Counties in North Dakota by wages and salaries paid, 2015) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip

MLA 9

CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents, Counties in North Dakota by wages and salaries paid, 2015. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 5 Feb. 2026, https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/north-dakota-counties?period=2015. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. 2026. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Counties in North Dakota by wages and salaries paid, 2015. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/north-dakota-counties?period=2015.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2026) CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents, Counties in North Dakota by wages and salaries paid, 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/north-dakota-counties?period=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_north_dakota_2015,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis}},
  title = {{CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents: Counties in North Dakota by wages and salaries paid, 2015}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/north-dakota-counties?period=2015. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
TI  - CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents: Counties in North Dakota by wages and salaries paid, 2015
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/02/05
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/north-dakota-counties?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/north-dakota-counties?period=2015.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Counties in North Dakota by wages and salaries paid using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"wages_and_salaries","level":"province","within":"North Dakota","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=wages_and_salaries&level=province&within=North%20Dakota&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which county has the highest wages and salaries paid?

Cass County, with $5.76 billion in 2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

Sheridan County, with $7.81 million in 2015.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Wages and salaries paid: other rankings

Counties in North Dakota: more rankings