Counties in South Dakota by wages and salaries paid

Minnehaha County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 66 counties in 2020, at $7.25 billion. Mellette County had the lowest, at $10.49 million. The median was $80 million and the figure for South Dakota was $21.8 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

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Highest7,249.2Minnehaha County
Lowest10.5Mellette County
Median8066 counties
South Dakota21,799.3History

Map of counties, 2020

Aurora County: 30.5 USD millionBeadle County: 388.3 USD millionBennett County: 34.5 USD millionBon Homme County: 67.7 USD millionBrookings County: 884.4 USD millionBrown County: 1,019.6 USD millionBrule County: 81 USD millionBuffalo County: 24.2 USD millionButte County: 106.5 USD millionCampbell County: 20.8 USD millionCharles Mix County: 137.1 USD millionClark County: 62.5 USD millionClay County: 256.1 USD millionCodington County: 702.5 USD millionCorson County: 35.9 USD millionCuster County: 95.8 USD millionDavison County: 543.5 USD millionDay County: 78.1 USD millionDeuel County: 82.1 USD millionDewey County: 119 USD millionDouglas County: 45.3 USD millionEdmunds County: 54.9 USD millionFall River County: 114 USD millionFaulk County: 28.2 USD millionGrant County: 180.1 USD millionGregory County: 58.3 USD millionHaakon County: 38.4 USD millionHamlin County: 101.7 USD millionHand County: 57.1 USD millionHanson County: 30.2 USD millionHarding County: 23.3 USD millionHughes County: 529.4 USD millionHutchinson County: 112.8 USD millionHyde County: 25.6 USD millionJackson County: 27.7 USD millionJerauld County: 67 USD millionJones County: 15.8 USD millionKingsbury County: 79 USD millionLake County: 230.2 USD millionLawrence County: 517 USD millionLincoln County: 1,433.4 USD millionLyman County: 51.6 USD millionMcCook County: 60.1 USD millionMcPherson County: 22.3 USD millionMarshall County: 72.3 USD millionMeade County: 395.3 USD millionMellette County: 10.5 USD millionMiner County: 26.6 USD millionMinnehaha County: 7,249.2 USD millionMoody County: 100.3 USD millionOglala Lakota County: 200.5 USD millionPennington County: 3,002.6 USD millionPerkins County: 42.8 USD millionPotter County: 38.5 USD millionRoberts County: 145.5 USD millionSanborn County: 23.9 USD millionSpink County: 104.3 USD millionStanley County: 50.6 USD millionSully County: 48.9 USD millionTodd County: 127.4 USD millionTripp County: 89 USD millionTurner County: 89.9 USD millionUnion County: 600.2 USD millionWalworth County: 85.2 USD millionYankton County: 610.3 USD millionZiebach County: 12 USD million
  • Under 30
  • 30 to 50
  • 50 to 80
  • 80 to 110
  • 110 to 420
  • 420 and over
USD million, 2020. 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, 2020

Minnehaha County: 7,249.2 USD millionMinnehaha County7,249.2Pennington County: 3,002.6 USD millionPennington County3,002.6Lincoln County: 1,433.4 USD millionLincoln County1,433.4Brown County: 1,019.6 USD millionBrown County1,019.6Brookings County: 884.4 USD millionBrookings County884.4Codington County: 702.5 USD millionCodington County702.5Yankton County: 610.3 USD millionYankton County610.3Union County: 600.2 USD millionUnion County600.2Davison County: 543.5 USD millionDavison County543.5Hughes County: 529.4 USD millionHughes County529.4Lawrence County: 517 USD millionLawrence County517Meade County: 395.3 USD millionMeade County395.3Beadle County: 388.3 USD millionBeadle County388.3Clay County: 256.1 USD millionClay County256.1Lake County: 230.2 USD millionLake County230.2Oglala Lakota County: 200.5 USD millionOglala Lakota County200.5Grant County: 180.1 USD millionGrant County180.1Roberts County: 145.5 USD millionRoberts County145.5Charles Mix County: 137.1 USD millionCharles Mix County137.1Todd County: 127.4 USD millionTodd County127.4Dewey County: 119 USD millionDewey County119Fall River County: 114 USD millionFall River County114Hutchinson County: 112.8 USD millionHutchinson County112.8Butte County: 106.5 USD millionButte County106.5Spink County: 104.3 USD millionSpink County104.3Hamlin County: 101.7 USD millionHamlin County101.7Moody County: 100.3 USD millionMoody County100.3Custer County: 95.8 USD millionCuster County95.8Turner County: 89.9 USD millionTurner County89.9Tripp County: 89 USD millionTripp County89Walworth County: 85.2 USD millionWalworth County85.2Deuel County: 82.1 USD millionDeuel County82.1Brule County: 81 USD millionBrule County81Kingsbury County: 79 USD millionKingsbury County79Day County: 78.1 USD millionDay County78.1Marshall County: 72.3 USD millionMarshall County72.3Bon Homme County: 67.7 USD millionBon Homme County67.7Jerauld County: 67 USD millionJerauld County67Clark County: 62.5 USD millionClark County62.5McCook County: 60.1 USD millionMcCook County60.1Minnehaha County: 7,249.2 USD millionMinnehaha County7,249.2Pennington County: 3,002.6 USD millionPennington County3,002.6Lincoln County: 1,433.4 USD millionLincoln County1,433.4Brown County: 1,019.6 USD millionBrown County1,019.6Brookings County: 884.4 USD millionBrookings County884.4Codington County: 702.5 USD millionCodington County702.5Yankton County: 610.3 USD millionYankton County610.3Union County: 600.2 USD millionUnion County600.2Davison County: 543.5 USD millionDavison County543.5Hughes County: 529.4 USD millionHughes County529.4Lawrence County: 517 USD millionLawrence County517Meade County: 395.3 USD millionMeade County395.3Beadle County: 388.3 USD millionBeadle County388.3Clay County: 256.1 USD millionClay County256.1Lake County: 230.2 USD millionLake County230.2Oglala Lakota County: 200.5 USD millionOglala Lakota County200.5Grant County: 180.1 USD millionGrant County180.1Roberts County: 145.5 USD millionRoberts County145.5Charles Mix County: 137.1 USD millionCharles Mix County137.1Todd County: 127.4 USD millionTodd County127.4Dewey County: 119 USD millionDewey County119Fall River County: 114 USD millionFall River County114Hutchinson County: 112.8 USD millionHutchinson County112.8Butte County: 106.5 USD millionButte County106.5Spink County: 104.3 USD millionSpink County104.3Hamlin County: 101.7 USD millionHamlin County101.7Moody County: 100.3 USD millionMoody County100.3Custer County: 95.8 USD millionCuster County95.8Turner County: 89.9 USD millionTurner County89.9Tripp County: 89 USD millionTripp County89Walworth County: 85.2 USD millionWalworth County85.2Deuel County: 82.1 USD millionDeuel County82.1Brule County: 81 USD millionBrule County81Kingsbury County: 79 USD millionKingsbury County79Day County: 78.1 USD millionDay County78.1Marshall County: 72.3 USD millionMarshall County72.3Bon Homme County: 67.7 USD millionBon Homme County67.7Jerauld County: 67 USD millionJerauld County67Clark County: 62.5 USD millionClark County62.5McCook County: 60.1 USD millionMcCook County60.1
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

RankCounties2020
USD million
Change on 2019
1Minnehaha County7,249.2+6.6%
2Pennington County3,002.6+5.5%
3Lincoln County1,433.4+6%
4Brown County1,019.6+5.5%
5Brookings County884.4+0.8%
6Codington County702.5+0.7%
7Yankton County610.3+1.8%
8Union County600.2+3.6%
9Davison County543.5+2.1%
10Hughes County529.4+2.3%
11Lawrence County517+5.3%
12Meade County395.3+5.7%
13Beadle County388.3+0.8%
14Clay County256.1+1.3%
15Lake County230.2+1.5%
16Oglala Lakota County200.5+15.4%
17Grant County180.1+4.4%
18Roberts County145.5+6.3%
19Charles Mix County137.1+8.6%
20Todd County127.4+6.6%
21Dewey County119+25.2%
22Fall River County114-1.3%
23Hutchinson County112.8+3.1%
24Butte County106.5+0.6%
25Spink County104.3+3.3%
26Hamlin County101.7+12.6%
27Moody County100.3+6%
28Custer County95.8+1.3%
29Turner County89.9+5.8%
30Tripp County89+3.7%
31Walworth County85.2+5.7%
32Deuel County82.1+29.9%
33Brule County81+4.9%
34Kingsbury County79+8.9%
35Day County78.1+7.3%
36Marshall County72.3+4.6%
37Bon Homme County67.7+2.5%
38Jerauld County67+13.9%
39Clark County62.5+51.2%
40McCook County60.1+6.2%
41Gregory County58.3+7.2%
42Hand County57.1+1.2%
43Edmunds County54.9+6.4%
44Lyman County51.6+6.5%
45Stanley County50.6+2.5%
46Sully County48.9+28.2%
47Douglas County45.3+1%
48Perkins County42.8+0.2%
49Potter County38.5+11.3%
50Haakon County38.4+7.5%
51Corson County35.9+6.6%
52Bennett County34.5+5.4%
53Aurora County30.5+1.1%
54Hanson County30.2+8%
55Faulk County28.2+6.1%
56Jackson County27.7+2.1%
57Miner County26.6-2.1%
58Hyde County25.6+6.3%
59Buffalo County24.2+8.9%
60Sanborn County23.9+8.3%
61Harding County23.3-7.3%
62McPherson County22.3+5.4%
63Campbell County20.8+4%
64Jones County15.8+1.3%
65Ziebach County12+0.2%
66Mellette County10.5-5.5%

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, 2020) [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, 2020. 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=2020. 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, 2020. 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=2020.

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, 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/south-dakota-counties?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_south_dakota_2020,
  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, 2020}},
  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=2020. 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, 2020
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=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/south-dakota-counties?period=2020.
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 $7.25 billion in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

Mellette County, with $10.49 million in 2020.

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