Counties in South Dakota by wages and salaries paid

Minnehaha County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 66 counties in 2017, at $6.25 billion. Mellette County had the lowest, at $10.41 million. The median was $68.28 million and the figure for South Dakota was $19.07 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

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Highest6,250.3Minnehaha County
Lowest10.4Mellette County
Median68.366 counties
South Dakota19,069.1History

Map of counties, 2017

Aurora County: 29 USD millionBeadle County: 354.7 USD millionBennett County: 31.4 USD millionBon Homme County: 64.6 USD millionBrookings County: 822.1 USD millionBrown County: 915.4 USD millionBrule County: 69.3 USD millionBuffalo County: 21.5 USD millionButte County: 101.4 USD millionCampbell County: 19.2 USD millionCharles Mix County: 120.8 USD millionClark County: 36.6 USD millionClay County: 233.4 USD millionCodington County: 644.8 USD millionCorson County: 34.3 USD millionCuster County: 87.6 USD millionDavison County: 501.7 USD millionDay County: 69.8 USD millionDeuel County: 59.9 USD millionDewey County: 88.5 USD millionDouglas County: 42.2 USD millionEdmunds County: 49 USD millionFall River County: 108.3 USD millionFaulk County: 24.6 USD millionGrant County: 159.9 USD millionGregory County: 49.9 USD millionHaakon County: 34.6 USD millionHamlin County: 73.1 USD millionHand County: 54.3 USD millionHanson County: 25.6 USD millionHarding County: 20.8 USD millionHughes County: 487.4 USD millionHutchinson County: 97.7 USD millionHyde County: 22.1 USD millionJackson County: 25.9 USD millionJerauld County: 57.4 USD millionJones County: 14.8 USD millionKingsbury County: 67.2 USD millionLake County: 206.8 USD millionLawrence County: 435.4 USD millionLincoln County: 1,135 USD millionLyman County: 47.1 USD millionMcCook County: 51.3 USD millionMcPherson County: 21.2 USD millionMarshall County: 63.3 USD millionMeade County: 332.3 USD millionMellette County: 10.4 USD millionMiner County: 26.2 USD millionMinnehaha County: 6,250.3 USD millionMoody County: 85.9 USD millionOglala Lakota County: 163.4 USD millionPennington County: 2,664.8 USD millionPerkins County: 41.9 USD millionPotter County: 33.1 USD millionRoberts County: 128.2 USD millionSanborn County: 20.2 USD millionSpink County: 94.1 USD millionStanley County: 49.4 USD millionSully County: 24.2 USD millionTodd County: 113.3 USD millionTripp County: 81.2 USD millionTurner County: 81.1 USD millionUnion County: 549.7 USD millionWalworth County: 81.5 USD millionYankton County: 546.1 USD millionZiebach County: 11 USD million
  • Under 30
  • 30 to 50
  • 50 to 70
  • 70 to 100
  • 100 to 370
  • 370 and over
USD million, 2017. 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, 2017

Minnehaha County: 6,250.3 USD millionMinnehaha County6,250.3Pennington County: 2,664.8 USD millionPennington County2,664.8Lincoln County: 1,135 USD millionLincoln County1,135Brown County: 915.4 USD millionBrown County915.4Brookings County: 822.1 USD millionBrookings County822.1Codington County: 644.8 USD millionCodington County644.8Union County: 549.7 USD millionUnion County549.7Yankton County: 546.1 USD millionYankton County546.1Davison County: 501.7 USD millionDavison County501.7Hughes County: 487.4 USD millionHughes County487.4Lawrence County: 435.4 USD millionLawrence County435.4Beadle County: 354.7 USD millionBeadle County354.7Meade County: 332.3 USD millionMeade County332.3Clay County: 233.4 USD millionClay County233.4Lake County: 206.8 USD millionLake County206.8Oglala Lakota County: 163.4 USD millionOglala Lakota County163.4Grant County: 159.9 USD millionGrant County159.9Roberts County: 128.2 USD millionRoberts County128.2Charles Mix County: 120.8 USD millionCharles Mix County120.8Todd County: 113.3 USD millionTodd County113.3Fall River County: 108.3 USD millionFall River County108.3Butte County: 101.4 USD millionButte County101.4Hutchinson County: 97.7 USD millionHutchinson County97.7Spink County: 94.1 USD millionSpink County94.1Dewey County: 88.5 USD millionDewey County88.5Custer County: 87.6 USD millionCuster County87.6Moody County: 85.9 USD millionMoody County85.9Walworth County: 81.5 USD millionWalworth County81.5Tripp County: 81.2 USD millionTripp County81.2Turner County: 81.1 USD millionTurner County81.1Hamlin County: 73.1 USD millionHamlin County73.1Day County: 69.8 USD millionDay County69.8Brule County: 69.3 USD millionBrule County69.3Kingsbury County: 67.2 USD millionKingsbury County67.2Bon Homme County: 64.6 USD millionBon Homme County64.6Marshall County: 63.3 USD millionMarshall County63.3Deuel County: 59.9 USD millionDeuel County59.9Jerauld County: 57.4 USD millionJerauld County57.4Hand County: 54.3 USD millionHand County54.3McCook County: 51.3 USD millionMcCook County51.3Minnehaha County: 6,250.3 USD millionMinnehaha County6,250.3Pennington County: 2,664.8 USD millionPennington County2,664.8Lincoln County: 1,135 USD millionLincoln County1,135Brown County: 915.4 USD millionBrown County915.4Brookings County: 822.1 USD millionBrookings County822.1Codington County: 644.8 USD millionCodington County644.8Union County: 549.7 USD millionUnion County549.7Yankton County: 546.1 USD millionYankton County546.1Davison County: 501.7 USD millionDavison County501.7Hughes County: 487.4 USD millionHughes County487.4Lawrence County: 435.4 USD millionLawrence County435.4Beadle County: 354.7 USD millionBeadle County354.7Meade County: 332.3 USD millionMeade County332.3Clay County: 233.4 USD millionClay County233.4Lake County: 206.8 USD millionLake County206.8Oglala Lakota County: 163.4 USD millionOglala Lakota County163.4Grant County: 159.9 USD millionGrant County159.9Roberts County: 128.2 USD millionRoberts County128.2Charles Mix County: 120.8 USD millionCharles Mix County120.8Todd County: 113.3 USD millionTodd County113.3Fall River County: 108.3 USD millionFall River County108.3Butte County: 101.4 USD millionButte County101.4Hutchinson County: 97.7 USD millionHutchinson County97.7Spink County: 94.1 USD millionSpink County94.1Dewey County: 88.5 USD millionDewey County88.5Custer County: 87.6 USD millionCuster County87.6Moody County: 85.9 USD millionMoody County85.9Walworth County: 81.5 USD millionWalworth County81.5Tripp County: 81.2 USD millionTripp County81.2Turner County: 81.1 USD millionTurner County81.1Hamlin County: 73.1 USD millionHamlin County73.1Day County: 69.8 USD millionDay County69.8Brule County: 69.3 USD millionBrule County69.3Kingsbury County: 67.2 USD millionKingsbury County67.2Bon Homme County: 64.6 USD millionBon Homme County64.6Marshall County: 63.3 USD millionMarshall County63.3Deuel County: 59.9 USD millionDeuel County59.9Jerauld County: 57.4 USD millionJerauld County57.4Hand County: 54.3 USD millionHand County54.3McCook County: 51.3 USD millionMcCook County51.3
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

RankCounties2017
USD million
Change on 2016
1Minnehaha County6,250.3+3.4%
2Pennington County2,664.8+4%
3Lincoln County1,135+9%
4Brown County915.4+2.6%
5Brookings County822.1+2.5%
6Codington County644.8+4.1%
7Union County549.7+5.2%
8Yankton County546.1+4.4%
9Davison County501.7+1.7%
10Hughes County487.4+1.5%
11Lawrence County435.4+3.2%
12Beadle County354.7+0.8%
13Meade County332.3+4.8%
14Clay County233.4+6.4%
15Lake County206.8+5.1%
16Oglala Lakota County163.4+4.1%
17Grant County159.9+6%
18Roberts County128.2+1.8%
19Charles Mix County120.8+5.4%
20Todd County113.3+4.8%
21Fall River County108.3+3.3%
22Butte County101.4+1.2%
23Hutchinson County97.7+4.6%
24Spink County94.1+2.8%
25Dewey County88.5+2.2%
26Custer County87.6+2.4%
27Moody County85.9+3.7%
28Walworth County81.5+3.2%
29Tripp County81.2+5.9%
30Turner County81.1+7.4%
31Hamlin County73.1+4.7%
32Day County69.8+7.3%
33Brule County69.3+4.4%
34Kingsbury County67.2+1.6%
35Bon Homme County64.6+2.4%
36Marshall County63.3+4.8%
37Deuel County59.9+0.5%
38Jerauld County57.4+15.7%
39Hand County54.3+8.2%
40McCook County51.3-1.4%
41Gregory County49.9+2.6%
42Stanley County49.4-6.7%
43Edmunds County49+1.6%
44Lyman County47.1+2.4%
45Douglas County42.2-1.9%
46Perkins County41.9+3.3%
47Clark County36.6+0.6%
48Haakon County34.6+7.5%
49Corson County34.3+4.3%
50Potter County33.1+7.3%
51Bennett County31.4+3.5%
52Aurora County29+9.9%
53Miner County26.2+4.8%
54Jackson County25.9+7.1%
55Hanson County25.6-0.1%
56Faulk County24.6+2.7%
57Sully County24.2+11%
58Hyde County22.1+3.7%
59Buffalo County21.5+4.2%
60McPherson County21.2+5.6%
61Harding County20.8-3.3%
62Sanborn County20.2+0.4%
63Campbell County19.2+5%
64Jones County14.8+0.3%
65Ziebach County11+6.8%
66Mellette County10.4+1.8%

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, 2017) [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, 2017. 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=2017. 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, 2017. 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=2017.

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, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/south-dakota-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_south_dakota_2017,
  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, 2017}},
  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=2017. 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, 2017
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=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/south-dakota-counties?period=2017.
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 $6.25 billion in 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

Mellette County, with $10.41 million in 2017.

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