Counties in North Dakota by wages and salaries paid

Cass County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 53 counties in 2019, at $6.61 billion. Sheridan County had the lowest, at $8.62 million. The median was $76.68 million and the figure for North Dakota was $24.36 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

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Highest6,605.3Cass County
Median76.753 counties
North Dakota24,359.9History

Map of counties, 2019

Adams County: 41.5 USD millionBarnes County: 198 USD millionBenson County: 88.6 USD millionBillings County: 25.4 USD millionBottineau County: 118.9 USD millionBowman County: 80.8 USD millionBurke County: 43.9 USD millionBurleigh County: 3,103.5 USD millionCass County: 6,605.3 USD millionCavalier County: 66.7 USD millionDickey County: 76.2 USD millionDivide County: 45.3 USD millionDunn County: 169.5 USD millionEddy County: 29.1 USD millionEmmons County: 38.4 USD millionFoster County: 76.7 USD millionGolden Valley County: 25 USD millionGrand Forks County: 2,128.9 USD millionGrant County: 24.6 USD millionGriggs County: 37.2 USD millionHettinger County: 37 USD millionKidder County: 28.5 USD millionLaMoure County: 57.5 USD millionLogan County: 21.9 USD millionMcHenry County: 66.8 USD millionMcIntosh County: 41 USD millionMcKenzie County: 1,068.8 USD millionMcLean County: 220.8 USD millionMercer County: 308.8 USD millionMorton County: 616.4 USD millionMountrail County: 439.4 USD millionNelson County: 37.3 USD millionOliver County: 59.8 USD millionPembina County: 180.8 USD millionPierce County: 77.7 USD millionRamsey County: 248.6 USD millionRansom County: 90 USD millionRenville County: 33.2 USD millionRichland County: 350.2 USD millionRolette County: 186.4 USD millionSargent County: 171 USD millionSheridan County: 8.6 USD millionSioux County: 72.2 USD millionSlope County: 10.3 USD millionStark County: 1,330 USD millionSteele County: 36.3 USD millionStutsman County: 494.9 USD millionTowner County: 31.5 USD millionTraill County: 162.7 USD millionWalsh County: 218.4 USD millionWard County: 2,112.8 USD millionWells County: 68.4 USD millionWilliams County: 2,448.2 USD million
  • Under 30
  • 30 to 40
  • 40 to 80
  • 80 to 180
  • 180 to 460
  • 460 and over
USD million, 2019. 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, 2019

Cass County: 6,605.3 USD millionCass County6,605.3Burleigh County: 3,103.5 USD millionBurleigh County3,103.5Williams County: 2,448.2 USD millionWilliams County2,448.2Grand Forks County: 2,128.9 USD millionGrand Forks County2,128.9Ward County: 2,112.8 USD millionWard County2,112.8Stark County: 1,330 USD millionStark County1,330McKenzie County: 1,068.8 USD millionMcKenzie County1,068.8Morton County: 616.4 USD millionMorton County616.4Stutsman County: 494.9 USD millionStutsman County494.9Mountrail County: 439.4 USD millionMountrail County439.4Richland County: 350.2 USD millionRichland County350.2Mercer County: 308.8 USD millionMercer County308.8Ramsey County: 248.6 USD millionRamsey County248.6McLean County: 220.8 USD millionMcLean County220.8Walsh County: 218.4 USD millionWalsh County218.4Barnes County: 198 USD millionBarnes County198Rolette County: 186.4 USD millionRolette County186.4Pembina County: 180.8 USD millionPembina County180.8Sargent County: 171 USD millionSargent County171Dunn County: 169.5 USD millionDunn County169.5Traill County: 162.7 USD millionTraill County162.7Bottineau County: 118.9 USD millionBottineau County118.9Ransom County: 90 USD millionRansom County90Benson County: 88.6 USD millionBenson County88.6Bowman County: 80.8 USD millionBowman County80.8Pierce County: 77.7 USD millionPierce County77.7Foster County: 76.7 USD millionFoster County76.7Dickey County: 76.2 USD millionDickey County76.2Sioux County: 72.2 USD millionSioux County72.2Wells County: 68.4 USD millionWells County68.4McHenry County: 66.8 USD millionMcHenry County66.8Cavalier County: 66.7 USD millionCavalier County66.7Oliver County: 59.8 USD millionOliver County59.8LaMoure County: 57.5 USD millionLaMoure County57.5Divide County: 45.3 USD millionDivide County45.3Burke County: 43.9 USD millionBurke County43.9Adams County: 41.5 USD millionAdams County41.5McIntosh County: 41 USD millionMcIntosh County41Emmons County: 38.4 USD millionEmmons County38.4Nelson County: 37.3 USD millionNelson County37.3Griggs County: 37.2 USD millionGriggs County37.2Hettinger County: 37 USD millionHettinger County37Steele County: 36.3 USD millionSteele County36.3Renville County: 33.2 USD millionRenville County33.2Towner County: 31.5 USD millionTowner County31.5Eddy County: 29.1 USD millionEddy County29.1Kidder County: 28.5 USD millionKidder County28.5Billings County: 25.4 USD millionBillings County25.4Golden Valley County: 25 USD millionGolden Valley County25Grant County: 24.6 USD millionGrant County24.6Logan County: 21.9 USD millionLogan County21.9Slope County: 10.3 USD millionSlope County10.3Sheridan County: 8.6 USD millionSheridan County8.6Cass County: 6,605.3 USD millionCass County6,605.3Burleigh County: 3,103.5 USD millionBurleigh County3,103.5Williams County: 2,448.2 USD millionWilliams County2,448.2Grand Forks County: 2,128.9 USD millionGrand Forks County2,128.9Ward County: 2,112.8 USD millionWard County2,112.8Stark County: 1,330 USD millionStark County1,330McKenzie County: 1,068.8 USD millionMcKenzie County1,068.8Morton County: 616.4 USD millionMorton County616.4Stutsman County: 494.9 USD millionStutsman County494.9Mountrail County: 439.4 USD millionMountrail County439.4Richland County: 350.2 USD millionRichland County350.2Mercer County: 308.8 USD millionMercer County308.8Ramsey County: 248.6 USD millionRamsey County248.6McLean County: 220.8 USD millionMcLean County220.8Walsh County: 218.4 USD millionWalsh County218.4Barnes County: 198 USD millionBarnes County198Rolette County: 186.4 USD millionRolette County186.4Pembina County: 180.8 USD millionPembina County180.8Sargent County: 171 USD millionSargent County171Dunn County: 169.5 USD millionDunn County169.5Traill County: 162.7 USD millionTraill County162.7Bottineau County: 118.9 USD millionBottineau County118.9Ransom County: 90 USD millionRansom County90Benson County: 88.6 USD millionBenson County88.6Bowman County: 80.8 USD millionBowman County80.8Pierce County: 77.7 USD millionPierce County77.7Foster County: 76.7 USD millionFoster County76.7Dickey County: 76.2 USD millionDickey County76.2Sioux County: 72.2 USD millionSioux County72.2Wells County: 68.4 USD millionWells County68.4McHenry County: 66.8 USD millionMcHenry County66.8Cavalier County: 66.7 USD millionCavalier County66.7Oliver County: 59.8 USD millionOliver County59.8LaMoure County: 57.5 USD millionLaMoure County57.5Divide County: 45.3 USD millionDivide County45.3Burke County: 43.9 USD millionBurke County43.9Adams County: 41.5 USD millionAdams County41.5McIntosh County: 41 USD millionMcIntosh County41Emmons County: 38.4 USD millionEmmons County38.4Nelson County: 37.3 USD millionNelson County37.3Griggs County: 37.2 USD millionGriggs County37.2Hettinger County: 37 USD millionHettinger County37Steele County: 36.3 USD millionSteele County36.3Renville County: 33.2 USD millionRenville County33.2Towner County: 31.5 USD millionTowner County31.5Eddy County: 29.1 USD millionEddy County29.1Kidder County: 28.5 USD millionKidder County28.5Billings County: 25.4 USD millionBillings County25.4Golden Valley County: 25 USD millionGolden Valley County25Grant County: 24.6 USD millionGrant County24.6Logan County: 21.9 USD millionLogan County21.9Slope County: 10.3 USD millionSlope County10.3Sheridan County: 8.6 USD millionSheridan County8.6
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

RankCounties2019
USD million
Change on 2018
1Cass County6,605.3+5.2%
2Burleigh County3,103.5+2.4%
3Williams County2,448.2+4.6%
4Grand Forks County2,128.9+2.6%
5Ward County2,112.8+3%
6Stark County1,330+6.9%
7McKenzie County1,068.8+25.9%
8Morton County616.4+6%
9Stutsman County494.9+1.4%
10Mountrail County439.4+9.7%
11Richland County350.2+0.4%
12Mercer County308.8-7%
13Ramsey County248.6+3%
14McLean County220.8+4.9%
15Walsh County218.4+4.5%
16Barnes County198+1.4%
17Rolette County186.4+1.7%
18Pembina County180.8+4.9%
19Sargent County171+9%
20Dunn County169.5+11.1%
21Traill County162.7+3.3%
22Bottineau County118.9+5.6%
23Ransom County90-1%
24Benson County88.6+6.6%
25Bowman County80.8+20.7%
26Pierce County77.7-3.7%
27Foster County76.7-1.4%
28Dickey County76.2+1.4%
29Sioux County72.2+3%
30Wells County68.4+2.1%
31McHenry County66.8+9.2%
32Cavalier County66.7-2.6%
33Oliver County59.8+6.5%
34LaMoure County57.5+2%
35Divide County45.3-4.2%
36Burke County43.9+4.3%
37Adams County41.5+3.7%
38McIntosh County41+3.5%
39Emmons County38.4+3.7%
40Nelson County37.3+4.5%
41Griggs County37.2+2.2%
42Hettinger County37+2.8%
43Steele County36.3+6.7%
44Renville County33.2+1.6%
45Towner County31.5+2.8%
46Eddy County29.1+4%
47Kidder County28.5+9.2%
48Billings County25.4+7.3%
49Golden Valley County25-0.2%
50Grant County24.6+8.6%
51Logan County21.9+4.7%
52Slope County10.3+13.4%
53Sheridan County8.6+6.9%

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, 2019) [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, 2019. 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=2019. 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, 2019. 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=2019.

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, 2019 [Dataset]. Available at: https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/north-dakota-counties?period=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_north_dakota_2019,
  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, 2019}},
  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=2019. 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, 2019
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=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/north-dakota-counties?period=2019.
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 $6.61 billion in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

Sheridan County, with $8.62 million in 2019.

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