Counties in South Dakota by wages and salaries paid

Minnehaha County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 66 counties in 2016, at $6.04 billion. Mellette County had the lowest, at $10.22 million. The median was $65.59 million and the figure for South Dakota was $18.37 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

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Highest6,044.5Minnehaha County
Lowest10.2Mellette County
Median65.666 counties
South Dakota18,368.8History

Map of counties, 2016

Aurora County: 26.4 USD millionBeadle County: 352 USD millionBennett County: 30.4 USD millionBon Homme County: 63.1 USD millionBrookings County: 801.7 USD millionBrown County: 891.9 USD millionBrule County: 66.4 USD millionBuffalo County: 20.6 USD millionButte County: 100.2 USD millionCampbell County: 18.3 USD millionCharles Mix County: 114.6 USD millionClark County: 36.4 USD millionClay County: 219.4 USD millionCodington County: 619.2 USD millionCorson County: 32.9 USD millionCuster County: 85.5 USD millionDavison County: 493.3 USD millionDay County: 65 USD millionDeuel County: 59.6 USD millionDewey County: 86.7 USD millionDouglas County: 43 USD millionEdmunds County: 48.3 USD millionFall River County: 104.8 USD millionFaulk County: 24 USD millionGrant County: 150.9 USD millionGregory County: 48.7 USD millionHaakon County: 32.2 USD millionHamlin County: 69.8 USD millionHand County: 50.2 USD millionHanson County: 25.6 USD millionHarding County: 21.5 USD millionHughes County: 480 USD millionHutchinson County: 93.4 USD millionHyde County: 21.3 USD millionJackson County: 24.2 USD millionJerauld County: 49.6 USD millionJones County: 14.7 USD millionKingsbury County: 66.1 USD millionLake County: 196.8 USD millionLawrence County: 421.9 USD millionLincoln County: 1,041.6 USD millionLyman County: 46 USD millionMcCook County: 52 USD millionMcPherson County: 20.1 USD millionMarshall County: 60.4 USD millionMeade County: 316.9 USD millionMellette County: 10.2 USD millionMiner County: 25 USD millionMinnehaha County: 6,044.5 USD millionMoody County: 82.8 USD millionOglala Lakota County: 157 USD millionPennington County: 2,563.1 USD millionPerkins County: 40.6 USD millionPotter County: 30.8 USD millionRoberts County: 125.9 USD millionSanborn County: 20.1 USD millionSpink County: 91.5 USD millionStanley County: 52.9 USD millionSully County: 21.8 USD millionTodd County: 108.1 USD millionTripp County: 76.6 USD millionTurner County: 75.4 USD millionUnion County: 522.5 USD millionWalworth County: 78.9 USD millionYankton County: 522.9 USD millionZiebach County: 10.3 USD million
  • Under 20
  • 20 to 50
  • 50 to 70
  • 70 to 100
  • 100 to 360
  • 360 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.

Top 40 counties, 2016

Minnehaha County: 6,044.5 USD millionMinnehaha County6,044.5Pennington County: 2,563.1 USD millionPennington County2,563.1Lincoln County: 1,041.6 USD millionLincoln County1,041.6Brown County: 891.9 USD millionBrown County891.9Brookings County: 801.7 USD millionBrookings County801.7Codington County: 619.2 USD millionCodington County619.2Yankton County: 522.9 USD millionYankton County522.9Union County: 522.5 USD millionUnion County522.5Davison County: 493.3 USD millionDavison County493.3Hughes County: 480 USD millionHughes County480Lawrence County: 421.9 USD millionLawrence County421.9Beadle County: 352 USD millionBeadle County352Meade County: 316.9 USD millionMeade County316.9Clay County: 219.4 USD millionClay County219.4Lake County: 196.8 USD millionLake County196.8Oglala Lakota County: 157 USD millionOglala Lakota County157Grant County: 150.9 USD millionGrant County150.9Roberts County: 125.9 USD millionRoberts County125.9Charles Mix County: 114.6 USD millionCharles Mix County114.6Todd County: 108.1 USD millionTodd County108.1Fall River County: 104.8 USD millionFall River County104.8Butte County: 100.2 USD millionButte County100.2Hutchinson County: 93.4 USD millionHutchinson County93.4Spink County: 91.5 USD millionSpink County91.5Dewey County: 86.7 USD millionDewey County86.7Custer County: 85.5 USD millionCuster County85.5Moody County: 82.8 USD millionMoody County82.8Walworth County: 78.9 USD millionWalworth County78.9Tripp County: 76.6 USD millionTripp County76.6Turner County: 75.4 USD millionTurner County75.4Hamlin County: 69.8 USD millionHamlin County69.8Brule County: 66.4 USD millionBrule County66.4Kingsbury County: 66.1 USD millionKingsbury County66.1Day County: 65 USD millionDay County65Bon Homme County: 63.1 USD millionBon Homme County63.1Marshall County: 60.4 USD millionMarshall County60.4Deuel County: 59.6 USD millionDeuel County59.6Stanley County: 52.9 USD millionStanley County52.9McCook County: 52 USD millionMcCook County52Hand County: 50.2 USD millionHand County50.2Minnehaha County: 6,044.5 USD millionMinnehaha County6,044.5Pennington County: 2,563.1 USD millionPennington County2,563.1Lincoln County: 1,041.6 USD millionLincoln County1,041.6Brown County: 891.9 USD millionBrown County891.9Brookings County: 801.7 USD millionBrookings County801.7Codington County: 619.2 USD millionCodington County619.2Yankton County: 522.9 USD millionYankton County522.9Union County: 522.5 USD millionUnion County522.5Davison County: 493.3 USD millionDavison County493.3Hughes County: 480 USD millionHughes County480Lawrence County: 421.9 USD millionLawrence County421.9Beadle County: 352 USD millionBeadle County352Meade County: 316.9 USD millionMeade County316.9Clay County: 219.4 USD millionClay County219.4Lake County: 196.8 USD millionLake County196.8Oglala Lakota County: 157 USD millionOglala Lakota County157Grant County: 150.9 USD millionGrant County150.9Roberts County: 125.9 USD millionRoberts County125.9Charles Mix County: 114.6 USD millionCharles Mix County114.6Todd County: 108.1 USD millionTodd County108.1Fall River County: 104.8 USD millionFall River County104.8Butte County: 100.2 USD millionButte County100.2Hutchinson County: 93.4 USD millionHutchinson County93.4Spink County: 91.5 USD millionSpink County91.5Dewey County: 86.7 USD millionDewey County86.7Custer County: 85.5 USD millionCuster County85.5Moody County: 82.8 USD millionMoody County82.8Walworth County: 78.9 USD millionWalworth County78.9Tripp County: 76.6 USD millionTripp County76.6Turner County: 75.4 USD millionTurner County75.4Hamlin County: 69.8 USD millionHamlin County69.8Brule County: 66.4 USD millionBrule County66.4Kingsbury County: 66.1 USD millionKingsbury County66.1Day County: 65 USD millionDay County65Bon Homme County: 63.1 USD millionBon Homme County63.1Marshall County: 60.4 USD millionMarshall County60.4Deuel County: 59.6 USD millionDeuel County59.6Stanley County: 52.9 USD millionStanley County52.9McCook County: 52 USD millionMcCook County52Hand County: 50.2 USD millionHand County50.2
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
1Minnehaha County6,044.5+3.6%
2Pennington County2,563.1+4.1%
3Lincoln County1,041.6+9.8%
4Brown County891.9+2%
5Brookings County801.7+4.9%
6Codington County619.2-0.2%
7Yankton County522.9+1.6%
8Union County522.5+6.8%
9Davison County493.3+1.4%
10Hughes County480+4.1%
11Lawrence County421.9+1.7%
12Beadle County352+3.9%
13Meade County316.9+5.1%
14Clay County219.4+2.9%
15Lake County196.8+2.6%
16Oglala Lakota County157+3.8%
17Grant County150.9-8.6%
18Roberts County125.9+4.8%
19Charles Mix County114.6+3.3%
20Todd County108.1+4%
21Fall River County104.8+0.7%
22Butte County100.2-0.7%
23Hutchinson County93.4+1.4%
24Spink County91.5+3.6%
25Dewey County86.7+4.9%
26Custer County85.5-0.6%
27Moody County82.8+4.1%
28Walworth County78.9+2.9%
29Tripp County76.6+3.3%
30Turner County75.4+3.6%
31Hamlin County69.8+8.1%
32Brule County66.4+0.2%
33Kingsbury County66.1+4.2%
34Day County65+2.9%
35Bon Homme County63.1+1.4%
36Marshall County60.4-1.8%
37Deuel County59.6-1.2%
38Stanley County52.9+6.6%
39McCook County52+4.4%
40Hand County50.2+4.6%
41Jerauld County49.6-0.2%
42Gregory County48.7+4.4%
43Edmunds County48.3-0.1%
44Lyman County46+3.2%
45Douglas County43+2.2%
46Perkins County40.6+6.8%
47Clark County36.4+0.1%
48Corson County32.9+3.4%
49Haakon County32.2+7.8%
50Potter County30.8+1.7%
51Bennett County30.4+8.8%
52Aurora County26.4-2%
53Hanson County25.6+4.5%
54Miner County25+3.8%
55Jackson County24.2+2.3%
56Faulk County24+1.5%
57Sully County21.8+1%
58Harding County21.5-6.2%
59Hyde County21.3+4.8%
60Buffalo County20.6+3%
61Sanborn County20.1-0.7%
62McPherson County20.1+4.8%
63Campbell County18.3+0.5%
64Jones County14.7+4.4%
65Ziebach County10.3+2.2%
66Mellette County10.2+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 South 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 South 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/south-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 South 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/south-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 South 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/south-dakota-counties?period=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

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

Minnehaha County, with $6.04 billion in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

Mellette County, with $10.22 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 South Dakota: more rankings