Counties in North Dakota by wages and salaries paid

Cass County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 53 counties in 2023, at $8.56 billion. Slope County had the lowest, at $6.65 million. The median was $84.76 million and the figure for North Dakota was $28.4 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest8,555.5Cass County
Lowest6.7Slope County
Median84.853 counties
North Dakota28,402.8History

Map of counties, 2023

Adams County: 44.4 USD millionBarnes County: 245.7 USD millionBenson County: 108 USD millionBillings County: 35.7 USD millionBottineau County: 133.5 USD millionBowman County: 73.7 USD millionBurke County: 49.5 USD millionBurleigh County: 3,662.3 USD millionCass County: 8,555.5 USD millionCavalier County: 78.7 USD millionDickey County: 90.2 USD millionDivide County: 57.4 USD millionDunn County: 180.5 USD millionEddy County: 33.3 USD millionEmmons County: 49.4 USD millionFoster County: 91 USD millionGolden Valley County: 31.6 USD millionGrand Forks County: 2,539.9 USD millionGrant County: 33.2 USD millionGriggs County: 42.6 USD millionHettinger County: 41.4 USD millionKidder County: 37.2 USD millionLaMoure County: 71.7 USD millionLogan County: 25.7 USD millionMcHenry County: 79.8 USD millionMcIntosh County: 46.7 USD millionMcKenzie County: 1,038.8 USD millionMcLean County: 252.1 USD millionMercer County: 338.2 USD millionMorton County: 755 USD millionMountrail County: 388.8 USD millionNelson County: 49.4 USD millionOliver County: 62.8 USD millionPembina County: 210.6 USD millionPierce County: 84.7 USD millionRamsey County: 296.5 USD millionRansom County: 108.9 USD millionRenville County: 41.3 USD millionRichland County: 437.7 USD millionRolette County: 234.7 USD millionSargent County: 201.5 USD millionSheridan County: 9.8 USD millionSioux County: 81.4 USD millionSlope County: 6.7 USD millionStark County: 1,395 USD millionSteele County: 37.7 USD millionStutsman County: 617.4 USD millionTowner County: 35.9 USD millionTraill County: 205.7 USD millionWalsh County: 275.5 USD millionWard County: 2,362.7 USD millionWells County: 84.8 USD millionWilliams County: 2,347.5 USD million
  • Under 40
  • 40 to 50
  • 50 to 80
  • 80 to 210
  • 210 to 500
  • 500 and over
USD million, 2023. 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, 2023

Cass County: 8,555.5 USD millionCass County8,555.5Burleigh County: 3,662.3 USD millionBurleigh County3,662.3Grand Forks County: 2,539.9 USD millionGrand Forks County2,539.9Ward County: 2,362.7 USD millionWard County2,362.7Williams County: 2,347.5 USD millionWilliams County2,347.5Stark County: 1,395 USD millionStark County1,395McKenzie County: 1,038.8 USD millionMcKenzie County1,038.8Morton County: 755 USD millionMorton County755Stutsman County: 617.4 USD millionStutsman County617.4Richland County: 437.7 USD millionRichland County437.7Mountrail County: 388.8 USD millionMountrail County388.8Mercer County: 338.2 USD millionMercer County338.2Ramsey County: 296.5 USD millionRamsey County296.5Walsh County: 275.5 USD millionWalsh County275.5McLean County: 252.1 USD millionMcLean County252.1Barnes County: 245.7 USD millionBarnes County245.7Rolette County: 234.7 USD millionRolette County234.7Pembina County: 210.6 USD millionPembina County210.6Traill County: 205.7 USD millionTraill County205.7Sargent County: 201.5 USD millionSargent County201.5Dunn County: 180.5 USD millionDunn County180.5Bottineau County: 133.5 USD millionBottineau County133.5Ransom County: 108.9 USD millionRansom County108.9Benson County: 108 USD millionBenson County108Foster County: 91 USD millionFoster County91Dickey County: 90.2 USD millionDickey County90.2Wells County: 84.8 USD millionWells County84.8Pierce County: 84.7 USD millionPierce County84.7Sioux County: 81.4 USD millionSioux County81.4McHenry County: 79.8 USD millionMcHenry County79.8Cavalier County: 78.7 USD millionCavalier County78.7Bowman County: 73.7 USD millionBowman County73.7LaMoure County: 71.7 USD millionLaMoure County71.7Oliver County: 62.8 USD millionOliver County62.8Divide County: 57.4 USD millionDivide County57.4Burke County: 49.5 USD millionBurke County49.5Nelson County: 49.4 USD millionNelson County49.4Emmons County: 49.4 USD millionEmmons County49.4McIntosh County: 46.7 USD millionMcIntosh County46.7Adams County: 44.4 USD millionAdams County44.4Griggs County: 42.6 USD millionGriggs County42.6Hettinger County: 41.4 USD millionHettinger County41.4Renville County: 41.3 USD millionRenville County41.3Steele County: 37.7 USD millionSteele County37.7Kidder County: 37.2 USD millionKidder County37.2Towner County: 35.9 USD millionTowner County35.9Billings County: 35.7 USD millionBillings County35.7Eddy County: 33.3 USD millionEddy County33.3Grant County: 33.2 USD millionGrant County33.2Golden Valley County: 31.6 USD millionGolden Valley County31.6Logan County: 25.7 USD millionLogan County25.7Sheridan County: 9.8 USD millionSheridan County9.8Slope County: 6.7 USD millionSlope County6.7Cass County: 8,555.5 USD millionCass County8,555.5Burleigh County: 3,662.3 USD millionBurleigh County3,662.3Grand Forks County: 2,539.9 USD millionGrand Forks County2,539.9Ward County: 2,362.7 USD millionWard County2,362.7Williams County: 2,347.5 USD millionWilliams County2,347.5Stark County: 1,395 USD millionStark County1,395McKenzie County: 1,038.8 USD millionMcKenzie County1,038.8Morton County: 755 USD millionMorton County755Stutsman County: 617.4 USD millionStutsman County617.4Richland County: 437.7 USD millionRichland County437.7Mountrail County: 388.8 USD millionMountrail County388.8Mercer County: 338.2 USD millionMercer County338.2Ramsey County: 296.5 USD millionRamsey County296.5Walsh County: 275.5 USD millionWalsh County275.5McLean County: 252.1 USD millionMcLean County252.1Barnes County: 245.7 USD millionBarnes County245.7Rolette County: 234.7 USD millionRolette County234.7Pembina County: 210.6 USD millionPembina County210.6Traill County: 205.7 USD millionTraill County205.7Sargent County: 201.5 USD millionSargent County201.5Dunn County: 180.5 USD millionDunn County180.5Bottineau County: 133.5 USD millionBottineau County133.5Ransom County: 108.9 USD millionRansom County108.9Benson County: 108 USD millionBenson County108Foster County: 91 USD millionFoster County91Dickey County: 90.2 USD millionDickey County90.2Wells County: 84.8 USD millionWells County84.8Pierce County: 84.7 USD millionPierce County84.7Sioux County: 81.4 USD millionSioux County81.4McHenry County: 79.8 USD millionMcHenry County79.8Cavalier County: 78.7 USD millionCavalier County78.7Bowman County: 73.7 USD millionBowman County73.7LaMoure County: 71.7 USD millionLaMoure County71.7Oliver County: 62.8 USD millionOliver County62.8Divide County: 57.4 USD millionDivide County57.4Burke County: 49.5 USD millionBurke County49.5Nelson County: 49.4 USD millionNelson County49.4Emmons County: 49.4 USD millionEmmons County49.4McIntosh County: 46.7 USD millionMcIntosh County46.7Adams County: 44.4 USD millionAdams County44.4Griggs County: 42.6 USD millionGriggs County42.6Hettinger County: 41.4 USD millionHettinger County41.4Renville County: 41.3 USD millionRenville County41.3Steele County: 37.7 USD millionSteele County37.7Kidder County: 37.2 USD millionKidder County37.2Towner County: 35.9 USD millionTowner County35.9Billings County: 35.7 USD millionBillings County35.7Eddy County: 33.3 USD millionEddy County33.3Grant County: 33.2 USD millionGrant County33.2Golden Valley County: 31.6 USD millionGolden Valley County31.6Logan County: 25.7 USD millionLogan County25.7Sheridan County: 9.8 USD millionSheridan County9.8Slope County: 6.7 USD millionSlope County6.7
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

RankCounties2023
USD million
Change on 2022
1Cass County8,555.5+7.3%
2Burleigh County3,662.3+5%
3Grand Forks County2,539.9+6.3%
4Ward County2,362.7+5.6%
5Williams County2,347.5+14.1%
6Stark County1,395+11.2%
7McKenzie County1,038.8+16.1%
8Morton County755+8.1%
9Stutsman County617.4+7.8%
10Richland County437.7+5.8%
11Mountrail County388.8+4.4%
12Mercer County338.2+9%
13Ramsey County296.5+3.6%
14Walsh County275.5+5.6%
15McLean County252.1+3.9%
16Barnes County245.7+4%
17Rolette County234.7+3.5%
18Pembina County210.6+8.9%
19Traill County205.7+7.4%
20Sargent County201.5+6.1%
21Dunn County180.5+5.1%
22Bottineau County133.5+8.9%
23Ransom County108.9+7.3%
24Benson County108+3.7%
25Foster County91+7.1%
26Dickey County90.2+7.1%
27Wells County84.8+8.6%
28Pierce County84.7+5.1%
29Sioux County81.4+4.9%
30McHenry County79.8+8.7%
31Cavalier County78.7+5.4%
32Bowman County73.7+7.6%
33LaMoure County71.7+8.3%
34Oliver County62.8+3.5%
35Divide County57.4+28.5%
36Burke County49.5+10.9%
37Nelson County49.4+8.3%
38Emmons County49.4+6.9%
39McIntosh County46.7+5.8%
40Adams County44.4+3.4%
41Griggs County42.6+5%
42Hettinger County41.4-3.6%
43Renville County41.3+10.3%
44Steele County37.7+3.7%
45Kidder County37.2+9.2%
46Towner County35.9+5.6%
47Billings County35.7+11.8%
48Eddy County33.3+5.8%
49Grant County33.2+11.1%
50Golden Valley County31.6+9.6%
51Logan County25.7+3.6%
52Sheridan County9.8-0.2%
53Slope County6.7+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, 2023) [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, 2023. 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=2023. 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, 2023. 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=2023.

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, 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/north-dakota-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_north_dakota_2023,
  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, 2023}},
  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=2023. 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, 2023
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=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/north-dakota-counties?period=2023.
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 $8.56 billion in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

Slope County, with $6.65 million in 2023.

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