Counties in North Dakota by wages and salaries paid

Cass County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 53 counties in 2016, at $5.87 billion. Sheridan County had the lowest, at $8.01 million. The median was $73.15 million and the figure for North Dakota was $21.69 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

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Highest5,869.7Cass County
Median73.253 counties
North Dakota21,685.8History

Map of counties, 2016

Adams County: 39.8 USD millionBarnes County: 194.6 USD millionBenson County: 80.8 USD millionBillings County: 19.7 USD millionBottineau County: 110.6 USD millionBowman County: 71.2 USD millionBurke County: 40.5 USD millionBurleigh County: 2,960.7 USD millionCass County: 5,869.7 USD millionCavalier County: 67.5 USD millionDickey County: 73.2 USD millionDivide County: 43.7 USD millionDunn County: 141.5 USD millionEddy County: 27.5 USD millionEmmons County: 35.8 USD millionFoster County: 75.2 USD millionGolden Valley County: 26.5 USD millionGrand Forks County: 2,008.9 USD millionGrant County: 22.2 USD millionGriggs County: 36.1 USD millionHettinger County: 35.6 USD millionKidder County: 26.4 USD millionLaMoure County: 57.5 USD millionLogan County: 21.4 USD millionMcHenry County: 60 USD millionMcIntosh County: 38.7 USD millionMcKenzie County: 645.4 USD millionMcLean County: 199.8 USD millionMercer County: 382.9 USD millionMorton County: 559.8 USD millionMountrail County: 384.3 USD millionNelson County: 35.8 USD millionOliver County: 66.5 USD millionPembina County: 170 USD millionPierce County: 74.7 USD millionRamsey County: 277 USD millionRansom County: 85.5 USD millionRenville County: 32.2 USD millionRichland County: 335.8 USD millionRolette County: 177.2 USD millionSargent County: 124.2 USD millionSheridan County: 8 USD millionSioux County: 69.6 USD millionSlope County: 9.6 USD millionStark County: 1,088.1 USD millionSteele County: 31.9 USD millionStutsman County: 482.8 USD millionTowner County: 28.9 USD millionTraill County: 146.6 USD millionWalsh County: 198 USD millionWard County: 1,940.5 USD millionWells County: 65.9 USD millionWilliams County: 1,879.6 USD million
  • Under 30
  • 30 to 40
  • 40 to 70
  • 70 to 160
  • 160 to 420
  • 420 and over
USD million, 2016. 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, 2016

Cass County: 5,869.7 USD millionCass County5,869.7Burleigh County: 2,960.7 USD millionBurleigh County2,960.7Grand Forks County: 2,008.9 USD millionGrand Forks County2,008.9Ward County: 1,940.5 USD millionWard County1,940.5Williams County: 1,879.6 USD millionWilliams County1,879.6Stark County: 1,088.1 USD millionStark County1,088.1McKenzie County: 645.4 USD millionMcKenzie County645.4Morton County: 559.8 USD millionMorton County559.8Stutsman County: 482.8 USD millionStutsman County482.8Mountrail County: 384.3 USD millionMountrail County384.3Mercer County: 382.9 USD millionMercer County382.9Richland County: 335.8 USD millionRichland County335.8Ramsey County: 277 USD millionRamsey County277McLean County: 199.8 USD millionMcLean County199.8Walsh County: 198 USD millionWalsh County198Barnes County: 194.6 USD millionBarnes County194.6Rolette County: 177.2 USD millionRolette County177.2Pembina County: 170 USD millionPembina County170Traill County: 146.6 USD millionTraill County146.6Dunn County: 141.5 USD millionDunn County141.5Sargent County: 124.2 USD millionSargent County124.2Bottineau County: 110.6 USD millionBottineau County110.6Ransom County: 85.5 USD millionRansom County85.5Benson County: 80.8 USD millionBenson County80.8Foster County: 75.2 USD millionFoster County75.2Pierce County: 74.7 USD millionPierce County74.7Dickey County: 73.2 USD millionDickey County73.2Bowman County: 71.2 USD millionBowman County71.2Sioux County: 69.6 USD millionSioux County69.6Cavalier County: 67.5 USD millionCavalier County67.5Oliver County: 66.5 USD millionOliver County66.5Wells County: 65.9 USD millionWells County65.9McHenry County: 60 USD millionMcHenry County60LaMoure County: 57.5 USD millionLaMoure County57.5Divide County: 43.7 USD millionDivide County43.7Burke County: 40.5 USD millionBurke County40.5Adams County: 39.8 USD millionAdams County39.8McIntosh County: 38.7 USD millionMcIntosh County38.7Griggs County: 36.1 USD millionGriggs County36.1Emmons County: 35.8 USD millionEmmons County35.8Nelson County: 35.8 USD millionNelson County35.8Hettinger County: 35.6 USD millionHettinger County35.6Renville County: 32.2 USD millionRenville County32.2Steele County: 31.9 USD millionSteele County31.9Towner County: 28.9 USD millionTowner County28.9Eddy County: 27.5 USD millionEddy County27.5Golden Valley County: 26.5 USD millionGolden Valley County26.5Kidder County: 26.4 USD millionKidder County26.4Grant County: 22.2 USD millionGrant County22.2Logan County: 21.4 USD millionLogan County21.4Billings County: 19.7 USD millionBillings County19.7Slope County: 9.6 USD millionSlope County9.6Sheridan County: 8 USD millionSheridan County8Cass County: 5,869.7 USD millionCass County5,869.7Burleigh County: 2,960.7 USD millionBurleigh County2,960.7Grand Forks County: 2,008.9 USD millionGrand Forks County2,008.9Ward County: 1,940.5 USD millionWard County1,940.5Williams County: 1,879.6 USD millionWilliams County1,879.6Stark County: 1,088.1 USD millionStark County1,088.1McKenzie County: 645.4 USD millionMcKenzie County645.4Morton County: 559.8 USD millionMorton County559.8Stutsman County: 482.8 USD millionStutsman County482.8Mountrail County: 384.3 USD millionMountrail County384.3Mercer County: 382.9 USD millionMercer County382.9Richland County: 335.8 USD millionRichland County335.8Ramsey County: 277 USD millionRamsey County277McLean County: 199.8 USD millionMcLean County199.8Walsh County: 198 USD millionWalsh County198Barnes County: 194.6 USD millionBarnes County194.6Rolette County: 177.2 USD millionRolette County177.2Pembina County: 170 USD millionPembina County170Traill County: 146.6 USD millionTraill County146.6Dunn County: 141.5 USD millionDunn County141.5Sargent County: 124.2 USD millionSargent County124.2Bottineau County: 110.6 USD millionBottineau County110.6Ransom County: 85.5 USD millionRansom County85.5Benson County: 80.8 USD millionBenson County80.8Foster County: 75.2 USD millionFoster County75.2Pierce County: 74.7 USD millionPierce County74.7Dickey County: 73.2 USD millionDickey County73.2Bowman County: 71.2 USD millionBowman County71.2Sioux County: 69.6 USD millionSioux County69.6Cavalier County: 67.5 USD millionCavalier County67.5Oliver County: 66.5 USD millionOliver County66.5Wells County: 65.9 USD millionWells County65.9McHenry County: 60 USD millionMcHenry County60LaMoure County: 57.5 USD millionLaMoure County57.5Divide County: 43.7 USD millionDivide County43.7Burke County: 40.5 USD millionBurke County40.5Adams County: 39.8 USD millionAdams County39.8McIntosh County: 38.7 USD millionMcIntosh County38.7Griggs County: 36.1 USD millionGriggs County36.1Emmons County: 35.8 USD millionEmmons County35.8Nelson County: 35.8 USD millionNelson County35.8Hettinger County: 35.6 USD millionHettinger County35.6Renville County: 32.2 USD millionRenville County32.2Steele County: 31.9 USD millionSteele County31.9Towner County: 28.9 USD millionTowner County28.9Eddy County: 27.5 USD millionEddy County27.5Golden Valley County: 26.5 USD millionGolden Valley County26.5Kidder County: 26.4 USD millionKidder County26.4Grant County: 22.2 USD millionGrant County22.2Logan County: 21.4 USD millionLogan County21.4Billings County: 19.7 USD millionBillings County19.7Slope County: 9.6 USD millionSlope County9.6Sheridan County: 8 USD millionSheridan County8
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

RankCounties2016
USD million
Change on 2015
1Cass County5,869.7+1.9%
2Burleigh County2,960.7-1.6%
3Grand Forks County2,008.9+2.5%
4Ward County1,940.5-8.2%
5Williams County1,879.6-34%
6Stark County1,088.1-24.1%
7McKenzie County645.4-26.6%
8Morton County559.8-0.3%
9Stutsman County482.8+0.7%
10Mountrail County384.3-24.3%
11Mercer County382.9+7.1%
12Richland County335.8+2.3%
13Ramsey County277+18.9%
14McLean County199.8+5.1%
15Walsh County198-0.1%
16Barnes County194.6-2.6%
17Rolette County177.2-1.9%
18Pembina County170-0.1%
19Traill County146.6+2.9%
20Dunn County141.5-31.5%
21Sargent County124.2-2.1%
22Bottineau County110.6-5.8%
23Ransom County85.5-0.6%
24Benson County80.8-5.2%
25Foster County75.2+2.9%
26Pierce County74.7+0.6%
27Dickey County73.2-2.4%
28Bowman County71.2-11.1%
29Sioux County69.6+3.5%
30Cavalier County67.5-0%
31Oliver County66.5-5.7%
32Wells County65.9-1.7%
33McHenry County60+4.6%
34LaMoure County57.5-0.4%
35Divide County43.7-17.1%
36Burke County40.5-12.6%
37Adams County39.8-1.6%
38McIntosh County38.7+2.3%
39Griggs County36.1-3.2%
40Emmons County35.8+5%
41Nelson County35.8+0.7%
42Hettinger County35.6+2.6%
43Renville County32.2-14%
44Steele County31.9-0.4%
45Towner County28.9+8.5%
46Eddy County27.5-2.6%
47Golden Valley County26.5-7.9%
48Kidder County26.4-2%
49Grant County22.2-4.1%
50Logan County21.4+0.4%
51Billings County19.7-16.2%
52Slope County9.6-11.2%
53Sheridan County8+2.6%

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, 2016) [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, 2016. 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=2016. 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, 2016. 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=2016.

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, 2016 [Dataset]. Available at: https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/north-dakota-counties?period=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_north_dakota_2016,
  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, 2016}},
  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=2016. 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, 2016
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=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/north-dakota-counties?period=2016.
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  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest wages and salaries paid?

Cass County, with $5.87 billion in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

Sheridan County, with $8.01 million in 2016.

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