Counties in South Dakota by wages and salaries paid

Minnehaha County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 66 counties in 2019, at $6.8 billion. Mellette County had the lowest, at $11.1 million. The median was $72.68 million and the figure for South Dakota was $20.7 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

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Highest6,799.6Minnehaha County
Lowest11.1Mellette County
Median72.766 counties
South Dakota20,696History

Map of counties, 2019

Aurora County: 30.2 USD millionBeadle County: 385.4 USD millionBennett County: 32.7 USD millionBon Homme County: 66 USD millionBrookings County: 877.7 USD millionBrown County: 966.4 USD millionBrule County: 77.2 USD millionBuffalo County: 22.2 USD millionButte County: 105.9 USD millionCampbell County: 20 USD millionCharles Mix County: 126.3 USD millionClark County: 41.3 USD millionClay County: 252.8 USD millionCodington County: 697.6 USD millionCorson County: 33.7 USD millionCuster County: 94.5 USD millionDavison County: 532.4 USD millionDay County: 72.8 USD millionDeuel County: 63.2 USD millionDewey County: 95 USD millionDouglas County: 44.9 USD millionEdmunds County: 51.6 USD millionFall River County: 115.5 USD millionFaulk County: 26.5 USD millionGrant County: 172.5 USD millionGregory County: 54.3 USD millionHaakon County: 35.7 USD millionHamlin County: 90.3 USD millionHand County: 56.4 USD millionHanson County: 28 USD millionHarding County: 25.1 USD millionHughes County: 517.3 USD millionHutchinson County: 109.4 USD millionHyde County: 24.1 USD millionJackson County: 27.1 USD millionJerauld County: 58.8 USD millionJones County: 15.6 USD millionKingsbury County: 72.6 USD millionLake County: 226.9 USD millionLawrence County: 491 USD millionLincoln County: 1,351.8 USD millionLyman County: 48.5 USD millionMcCook County: 56.6 USD millionMcPherson County: 21.2 USD millionMarshall County: 69.1 USD millionMeade County: 373.8 USD millionMellette County: 11.1 USD millionMiner County: 27.2 USD millionMinnehaha County: 6,799.6 USD millionMoody County: 94.6 USD millionOglala Lakota County: 173.7 USD millionPennington County: 2,845.2 USD millionPerkins County: 42.7 USD millionPotter County: 34.6 USD millionRoberts County: 136.9 USD millionSanborn County: 22 USD millionSpink County: 101 USD millionStanley County: 49.4 USD millionSully County: 38.2 USD millionTodd County: 119.6 USD millionTripp County: 85.9 USD millionTurner County: 85 USD millionUnion County: 579.5 USD millionWalworth County: 80.6 USD millionYankton County: 599.4 USD millionZiebach County: 12 USD million
  • Under 30
  • 30 to 50
  • 50 to 70
  • 70 to 110
  • 110 to 400
  • 400 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.

Top 40 counties, 2019

Minnehaha County: 6,799.6 USD millionMinnehaha County6,799.6Pennington County: 2,845.2 USD millionPennington County2,845.2Lincoln County: 1,351.8 USD millionLincoln County1,351.8Brown County: 966.4 USD millionBrown County966.4Brookings County: 877.7 USD millionBrookings County877.7Codington County: 697.6 USD millionCodington County697.6Yankton County: 599.4 USD millionYankton County599.4Union County: 579.5 USD millionUnion County579.5Davison County: 532.4 USD millionDavison County532.4Hughes County: 517.3 USD millionHughes County517.3Lawrence County: 491 USD millionLawrence County491Beadle County: 385.4 USD millionBeadle County385.4Meade County: 373.8 USD millionMeade County373.8Clay County: 252.8 USD millionClay County252.8Lake County: 226.9 USD millionLake County226.9Oglala Lakota County: 173.7 USD millionOglala Lakota County173.7Grant County: 172.5 USD millionGrant County172.5Roberts County: 136.9 USD millionRoberts County136.9Charles Mix County: 126.3 USD millionCharles Mix County126.3Todd County: 119.6 USD millionTodd County119.6Fall River County: 115.5 USD millionFall River County115.5Hutchinson County: 109.4 USD millionHutchinson County109.4Butte County: 105.9 USD millionButte County105.9Spink County: 101 USD millionSpink County101Dewey County: 95 USD millionDewey County95Moody County: 94.6 USD millionMoody County94.6Custer County: 94.5 USD millionCuster County94.5Hamlin County: 90.3 USD millionHamlin County90.3Tripp County: 85.9 USD millionTripp County85.9Turner County: 85 USD millionTurner County85Walworth County: 80.6 USD millionWalworth County80.6Brule County: 77.2 USD millionBrule County77.2Day County: 72.8 USD millionDay County72.8Kingsbury County: 72.6 USD millionKingsbury County72.6Marshall County: 69.1 USD millionMarshall County69.1Bon Homme County: 66 USD millionBon Homme County66Deuel County: 63.2 USD millionDeuel County63.2Jerauld County: 58.8 USD millionJerauld County58.8McCook County: 56.6 USD millionMcCook County56.6Hand County: 56.4 USD millionHand County56.4Minnehaha County: 6,799.6 USD millionMinnehaha County6,799.6Pennington County: 2,845.2 USD millionPennington County2,845.2Lincoln County: 1,351.8 USD millionLincoln County1,351.8Brown County: 966.4 USD millionBrown County966.4Brookings County: 877.7 USD millionBrookings County877.7Codington County: 697.6 USD millionCodington County697.6Yankton County: 599.4 USD millionYankton County599.4Union County: 579.5 USD millionUnion County579.5Davison County: 532.4 USD millionDavison County532.4Hughes County: 517.3 USD millionHughes County517.3Lawrence County: 491 USD millionLawrence County491Beadle County: 385.4 USD millionBeadle County385.4Meade County: 373.8 USD millionMeade County373.8Clay County: 252.8 USD millionClay County252.8Lake County: 226.9 USD millionLake County226.9Oglala Lakota County: 173.7 USD millionOglala Lakota County173.7Grant County: 172.5 USD millionGrant County172.5Roberts County: 136.9 USD millionRoberts County136.9Charles Mix County: 126.3 USD millionCharles Mix County126.3Todd County: 119.6 USD millionTodd County119.6Fall River County: 115.5 USD millionFall River County115.5Hutchinson County: 109.4 USD millionHutchinson County109.4Butte County: 105.9 USD millionButte County105.9Spink County: 101 USD millionSpink County101Dewey County: 95 USD millionDewey County95Moody County: 94.6 USD millionMoody County94.6Custer County: 94.5 USD millionCuster County94.5Hamlin County: 90.3 USD millionHamlin County90.3Tripp County: 85.9 USD millionTripp County85.9Turner County: 85 USD millionTurner County85Walworth County: 80.6 USD millionWalworth County80.6Brule County: 77.2 USD millionBrule County77.2Day County: 72.8 USD millionDay County72.8Kingsbury County: 72.6 USD millionKingsbury County72.6Marshall County: 69.1 USD millionMarshall County69.1Bon Homme County: 66 USD millionBon Homme County66Deuel County: 63.2 USD millionDeuel County63.2Jerauld County: 58.8 USD millionJerauld County58.8McCook County: 56.6 USD millionMcCook County56.6Hand County: 56.4 USD millionHand County56.4
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
1Minnehaha County6,799.6+4.8%
2Pennington County2,845.2+3.6%
3Lincoln County1,351.8+8.7%
4Brown County966.4+2%
5Brookings County877.7+2.9%
6Codington County697.6+2.9%
7Yankton County599.4+2.7%
8Union County579.5+4%
9Davison County532.4+2.5%
10Hughes County517.3+4.8%
11Lawrence County491+7.2%
12Beadle County385.4+2.9%
13Meade County373.8+7.9%
14Clay County252.8+4.2%
15Lake County226.9+1.8%
16Oglala Lakota County173.7+3.4%
17Grant County172.5+5.3%
18Roberts County136.9+2.7%
19Charles Mix County126.3+2.2%
20Todd County119.6+2.6%
21Fall River County115.5+2.2%
22Hutchinson County109.4+7.2%
23Butte County105.9+1.2%
24Spink County101+4.9%
25Dewey County95+4.6%
26Moody County94.6+5%
27Custer County94.5+2.9%
28Hamlin County90.3+8.1%
29Tripp County85.9+2.2%
30Turner County85+4.2%
31Walworth County80.6-2%
32Brule County77.2+5.2%
33Day County72.8+1.7%
34Kingsbury County72.6+4.2%
35Marshall County69.1+4.5%
36Bon Homme County66+2.4%
37Deuel County63.2+6.9%
38Jerauld County58.8+6.4%
39McCook County56.6+5%
40Hand County56.4+1.7%
41Gregory County54.3+5.3%
42Edmunds County51.6+7.2%
43Stanley County49.4-0.4%
44Lyman County48.5+3.1%
45Douglas County44.9+5.5%
46Perkins County42.7+5.7%
47Clark County41.3+11.7%
48Sully County38.2+55.3%
49Haakon County35.7+3%
50Potter County34.6+1.2%
51Corson County33.7-4.8%
52Bennett County32.7+4%
53Aurora County30.2-0.8%
54Hanson County28+3.3%
55Miner County27.2+2.1%
56Jackson County27.1+3.6%
57Faulk County26.5+2.8%
58Harding County25.1+14%
59Hyde County24.1+7.3%
60Buffalo County22.2-0.2%
61Sanborn County22+7.6%
62McPherson County21.2+3%
63Campbell County20+9.5%
64Jones County15.6+4.5%
65Ziebach County12+4.3%
66Mellette County11.1+5.6%

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 South 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 South 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/south-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 South 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/south-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 South 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/south-dakota-counties?period=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_south_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 South 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/south-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 South 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/south-dakota-counties?period=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/south-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?

Minnehaha County, with $6.8 billion in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

Mellette County, with $11.1 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 South Dakota: more rankings