Counties in South Dakota by wages and salaries paid

Minnehaha County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 66 counties in 2023, at $8.88 billion. Mellette County had the lowest, at $14.16 million. The median was $91.7 million and the figure for South Dakota was $26.87 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

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Highest8,882Minnehaha County
Lowest14.2Mellette County
Median91.766 counties
South Dakota26,868.4History

Map of counties, 2023

Aurora County: 35.2 USD millionBeadle County: 450.9 USD millionBennett County: 38.5 USD millionBon Homme County: 80.2 USD millionBrookings County: 1,096.2 USD millionBrown County: 1,120.4 USD millionBrule County: 98 USD millionBuffalo County: 27.6 USD millionButte County: 137.8 USD millionCampbell County: 24.8 USD millionCharles Mix County: 166 USD millionClark County: 62 USD millionClay County: 305.9 USD millionCodington County: 898.8 USD millionCorson County: 37.8 USD millionCuster County: 130.3 USD millionDavison County: 672.6 USD millionDay County: 92.5 USD millionDeuel County: 87.3 USD millionDewey County: 121 USD millionDouglas County: 52.4 USD millionEdmunds County: 63.7 USD millionFall River County: 143.9 USD millionFaulk County: 32.8 USD millionGrant County: 216.9 USD millionGregory County: 67.2 USD millionHaakon County: 43.7 USD millionHamlin County: 138.5 USD millionHand County: 69.6 USD millionHanson County: 35.6 USD millionHarding County: 24.3 USD millionHughes County: 668 USD millionHutchinson County: 135.9 USD millionHyde County: 30.3 USD millionJackson County: 33.5 USD millionJerauld County: 74.4 USD millionJones County: 17 USD millionKingsbury County: 90.9 USD millionLake County: 297.3 USD millionLawrence County: 705.1 USD millionLincoln County: 1,944.1 USD millionLyman County: 58.1 USD millionMcCook County: 71.7 USD millionMcPherson County: 25.7 USD millionMarshall County: 89.5 USD millionMeade County: 514.3 USD millionMellette County: 14.2 USD millionMiner County: 36.1 USD millionMinnehaha County: 8,882 USD millionMoody County: 121.5 USD millionOglala Lakota County: 210.5 USD millionPennington County: 3,779.6 USD millionPerkins County: 52.8 USD millionPotter County: 41.7 USD millionRoberts County: 165.7 USD millionSanborn County: 28.8 USD millionSpink County: 121.8 USD millionStanley County: 65.2 USD millionSully County: 39.5 USD millionTodd County: 150.5 USD millionTripp County: 113.1 USD millionTurner County: 111.3 USD millionUnion County: 734.3 USD millionWalworth County: 100.2 USD millionYankton County: 744.7 USD millionZiebach County: 14.8 USD million
  • Under 30
  • 30 to 60
  • 60 to 90
  • 90 to 140
  • 140 to 540
  • 540 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.

Top 40 counties, 2023

Minnehaha County: 8,882 USD millionMinnehaha County8,882Pennington County: 3,779.6 USD millionPennington County3,779.6Lincoln County: 1,944.1 USD millionLincoln County1,944.1Brown County: 1,120.4 USD millionBrown County1,120.4Brookings County: 1,096.2 USD millionBrookings County1,096.2Codington County: 898.8 USD millionCodington County898.8Yankton County: 744.7 USD millionYankton County744.7Union County: 734.3 USD millionUnion County734.3Lawrence County: 705.1 USD millionLawrence County705.1Davison County: 672.6 USD millionDavison County672.6Hughes County: 668 USD millionHughes County668Meade County: 514.3 USD millionMeade County514.3Beadle County: 450.9 USD millionBeadle County450.9Clay County: 305.9 USD millionClay County305.9Lake County: 297.3 USD millionLake County297.3Grant County: 216.9 USD millionGrant County216.9Oglala Lakota County: 210.5 USD millionOglala Lakota County210.5Charles Mix County: 166 USD millionCharles Mix County166Roberts County: 165.7 USD millionRoberts County165.7Todd County: 150.5 USD millionTodd County150.5Fall River County: 143.9 USD millionFall River County143.9Hamlin County: 138.5 USD millionHamlin County138.5Butte County: 137.8 USD millionButte County137.8Hutchinson County: 135.9 USD millionHutchinson County135.9Custer County: 130.3 USD millionCuster County130.3Spink County: 121.8 USD millionSpink County121.8Moody County: 121.5 USD millionMoody County121.5Dewey County: 121 USD millionDewey County121Tripp County: 113.1 USD millionTripp County113.1Turner County: 111.3 USD millionTurner County111.3Walworth County: 100.2 USD millionWalworth County100.2Brule County: 98 USD millionBrule County98Day County: 92.5 USD millionDay County92.5Kingsbury County: 90.9 USD millionKingsbury County90.9Marshall County: 89.5 USD millionMarshall County89.5Deuel County: 87.3 USD millionDeuel County87.3Bon Homme County: 80.2 USD millionBon Homme County80.2Jerauld County: 74.4 USD millionJerauld County74.4McCook County: 71.7 USD millionMcCook County71.7Hand County: 69.6 USD millionHand County69.6Minnehaha County: 8,882 USD millionMinnehaha County8,882Pennington County: 3,779.6 USD millionPennington County3,779.6Lincoln County: 1,944.1 USD millionLincoln County1,944.1Brown County: 1,120.4 USD millionBrown County1,120.4Brookings County: 1,096.2 USD millionBrookings County1,096.2Codington County: 898.8 USD millionCodington County898.8Yankton County: 744.7 USD millionYankton County744.7Union County: 734.3 USD millionUnion County734.3Lawrence County: 705.1 USD millionLawrence County705.1Davison County: 672.6 USD millionDavison County672.6Hughes County: 668 USD millionHughes County668Meade County: 514.3 USD millionMeade County514.3Beadle County: 450.9 USD millionBeadle County450.9Clay County: 305.9 USD millionClay County305.9Lake County: 297.3 USD millionLake County297.3Grant County: 216.9 USD millionGrant County216.9Oglala Lakota County: 210.5 USD millionOglala Lakota County210.5Charles Mix County: 166 USD millionCharles Mix County166Roberts County: 165.7 USD millionRoberts County165.7Todd County: 150.5 USD millionTodd County150.5Fall River County: 143.9 USD millionFall River County143.9Hamlin County: 138.5 USD millionHamlin County138.5Butte County: 137.8 USD millionButte County137.8Hutchinson County: 135.9 USD millionHutchinson County135.9Custer County: 130.3 USD millionCuster County130.3Spink County: 121.8 USD millionSpink County121.8Moody County: 121.5 USD millionMoody County121.5Dewey County: 121 USD millionDewey County121Tripp County: 113.1 USD millionTripp County113.1Turner County: 111.3 USD millionTurner County111.3Walworth County: 100.2 USD millionWalworth County100.2Brule County: 98 USD millionBrule County98Day County: 92.5 USD millionDay County92.5Kingsbury County: 90.9 USD millionKingsbury County90.9Marshall County: 89.5 USD millionMarshall County89.5Deuel County: 87.3 USD millionDeuel County87.3Bon Homme County: 80.2 USD millionBon Homme County80.2Jerauld County: 74.4 USD millionJerauld County74.4McCook County: 71.7 USD millionMcCook County71.7Hand County: 69.6 USD millionHand County69.6
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
1Minnehaha County8,882+6.2%
2Pennington County3,779.6+5.7%
3Lincoln County1,944.1+5.2%
4Brown County1,120.4+2.8%
5Brookings County1,096.2+6.5%
6Codington County898.8+7.1%
7Yankton County744.7+7.7%
8Union County734.3+0.8%
9Lawrence County705.1+8.3%
10Davison County672.6+7.7%
11Hughes County668+8.2%
12Meade County514.3+10.2%
13Beadle County450.9+5%
14Clay County305.9+6.8%
15Lake County297.3+8.5%
16Grant County216.9+6.1%
17Oglala Lakota County210.5-6%
18Charles Mix County166+7.8%
19Roberts County165.7-0.7%
20Todd County150.5+3.2%
21Fall River County143.9+6.8%
22Hamlin County138.5+8%
23Butte County137.8+13.2%
24Hutchinson County135.9+9.3%
25Custer County130.3+5.4%
26Spink County121.8+5%
27Moody County121.5+6.9%
28Dewey County121+5.7%
29Tripp County113.1+4.5%
30Turner County111.3+6.4%
31Walworth County100.2+5.4%
32Brule County98-10.3%
33Day County92.5+6%
34Kingsbury County90.9+2.1%
35Marshall County89.5+4%
36Deuel County87.3+4.5%
37Bon Homme County80.2+6.3%
38Jerauld County74.4-10.5%
39McCook County71.7+0.9%
40Hand County69.6+9.7%
41Gregory County67.2+4.7%
42Stanley County65.2+8.2%
43Edmunds County63.7+5.4%
44Clark County62+23.6%
45Lyman County58.1+2.3%
46Perkins County52.8+0.1%
47Douglas County52.4+4.4%
48Haakon County43.7+2.1%
49Potter County41.7+2.5%
50Sully County39.5+5.3%
51Bennett County38.5+8%
52Corson County37.8+3.9%
53Miner County36.1+8.7%
54Hanson County35.6+3.8%
55Aurora County35.2+4.2%
56Jackson County33.5+6.5%
57Faulk County32.8+5.7%
58Hyde County30.3+2.6%
59Sanborn County28.8+4.3%
60Buffalo County27.6+3.4%
61McPherson County25.7+7.6%
62Campbell County24.8+6.9%
63Harding County24.3-4.9%
64Jones County17+3.8%
65Ziebach County14.8+10.5%
66Mellette County14.2+8.9%

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, 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 South 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/south-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 South 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/south-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 South 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/south-dakota-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_south_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 South 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/south-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 South 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/south-dakota-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/south-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?

Minnehaha County, with $8.88 billion in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

Mellette County, with $14.16 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 South Dakota: more rankings