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State profile · NCES F-33 FY2023

Teacher Salary in South Dakota

South Dakota sits in the lowest third of reporting jurisdictions at $50,422 (#46 of 49). According to the NCES Common Core of Data finance survey, estimated teacher pay and per-pupil spending are available for every public school district in South Dakota.

$50,422
Est. state avg salary

Well below benchmark

-28.2%
vs national
#46
National rank
148
Districts

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$50,422/year (est.)

South Dakota sits in the lowest third of reporting jurisdictions at $50,422 (#46 of 49). Estimated average teacher salary is $50,422, materially below the national average of $70,245, ranking #46 of 49, across 121 public school districts with reliable data (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower-third estimated pay: South Dakota sits in the lowest third of reporting jurisdictions at $50,422 (#46 of 49).
  • lower third nationally (#46 of 49)
  • South Dakota ranks #46 of 49 on the salary estimate and #42 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • $24,213 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
  • -28.2% vs the national average
  • +10.1% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (balanced cohort, not the FTE average above)
  • #43 of 49 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 88.1)

South Dakota sits in the lower third for estimated pay

Across 121 reliable-salary districts, the average estimate is $50,422: #46 of 49 jurisdictions with a reliable district estimate, and 28.2% below the national benchmark of $70,245.

The rank compares the same F-33-derived district measure nationwide. It does not include benefits, experience steps, taxes, or local living costs; use it as a relative state placement rather than an exact paycheck.

South Dakota purchasing-power check on lower-third pay

South Dakota's nominal average teacher salary ranks #46 of the 49 states and territories that report teacher salaries. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2023 Regional Price Parity (88.1, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $60,128, ranking #43 of 49 , 3 places higher than the nominal rank once relative price levels are factored in. This purchasing-power view is not published by NEA's teacher-pay rankings or the aggregator sites; it comes from combining our own F-33-derived salary estimate with BEA's public RPP series. See the full 51-state release for methodology and download. BEA Regional Price Parities · NCES CCD F-33

South Dakota in the teacher-salary distribution

FY2023 estimated state averages from the same NCES-derived ranking

$50,422 6th percentile higher than 6% of 49 reporting states and territories

Show national distribution $0–$5,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 2 reporting states and territories (4%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 6 reporting states and territories (12%). This entry sits in this band. $55,000–$60,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Above this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 9 reporting states and territories (18%). Above this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 7 reporting states and territories (14%). Above this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 2 reporting states and territories (4%). Above this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 reporting states and territories (8%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 5 reporting states and territories (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. $115,000–$120,000: 0 reporting states and territories (0%). Above this entry. $120,000–$125,000: 1 reporting states and territories (2%). Above this entry. South Dakota $0 $125,000 reporting state salary estimates, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more reporting states and territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey; state estimates derived from reported instructional-salary expenditure and teacher FTE · FY2023

South Dakota's comparable salary trend

Same reporting-district cohort, FY2019-FY2023

FY2023 estimated average
$56,634 10.095347665604084% vs FY2019
145 districts held in the panel
$50,000$52,000$54,000$56,000$58,000 FY2019FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023 South Dakota est. avg teacher salary, FY2019: $51,441South Dakota est. avg teacher salary, FY2020: $52,214South Dakota est. avg teacher salary, FY2021: $52,938South Dakota est. avg teacher salary, FY2022: $54,466South Dakota est. avg teacher salary, FY2023: $56,634 $51,441 $56,634 ▲ +10.1%
Read the chart as text
Period South Dakota est. avg teacher salary
FY2019 $51,441
FY2020 $52,214
FY2021 $52,938
FY2022 $54,466
FY2023 $56,634

Highest-paying districts in South Dakota

Estimated average teacher salary, enrolling districts (200+ students)

Est. avg salary

What this shows Eagle Butte School District 20-1 leads South Dakota on the F-33 instructional-salary estimate. Service entities (CTCs, county offices) are excluded, their enrollment-based ratios are not reliable salary figures.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

Top 3 districts

1 $61,852

Eagle Butte School District 20-1

Est. avg teacher salary
2 $61,738

Douglas School District 51-1

Est. avg teacher salary
3 $60,093

Brandon Valley School District 49-2

Est. avg teacher salary

Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment Per-Pupil Exp
Waverly School District 14-5 $46,321 271 $16,251
Scotland School District 04-3 $46,197 297 $15,296
Clark School District 12-2 $46,183 482 $12,612
Haakon School District 27-1 $46,041 318 $13,695
Alcester-Hudson School District 61-1 $45,985 352 $14,355
Castlewood School District 28-1 $45,819 334 $44,072
Redfield School District 56-4 $45,739 555 $14,760
Flandreau School District 50-3 $45,690 694 $13,854
McCook Central School District 43-7 $45,429 434 $14,408
Elkton School District 05-3 $44,962 441 $13,828
Hot Springs School District 23-2 $44,848 773 $16,012
Leola School District 44-2 $44,796 210 $18,648
Colman-Egan School District 50-5 $44,707 296 $13,777
Langford Area 45-5 $44,534 242 $16,620
Bon Homme School District 04-2 $44,143 589 $12,963
Newell School District 09-2 $43,696 289 $14,830
Wessington Springs School District 36-2 $41,732 422 $19,313
Sanborn Central School District 55-5 $41,652 210 $15,167
Gettysburg School District 53-1 $40,810 211 $16,076
Plankinton School District 01-1 $39,430 288 $15,243
Wilmot School District 54-7 $37,639 222 $18,041

Showing 101–121 of 121 enrolling districts. Specialized non-enrolling agencies (career/technical centers, county offices, service co-ops) are excluded from the salary ranking, their enrollment-based estimates are not reliable.

Lowest-Paying Districts in South Dakota

District Est. Avg Salary Enrollment
Wilmot School District 54-7 $37,639 222
Plankinton School District 01-1 $39,430 288
Gettysburg School District 53-1 $40,810 211
Sanborn Central School District 55-5 $41,652 210
Wessington Springs School District 36-2 $41,732 422
Newell School District 09-2 $43,696 289
Bon Homme School District 04-2 $44,143 589
Langford Area 45-5 $44,534 242
Colman-Egan School District 50-5 $44,707 296
Leola School District 44-2 $44,796 210

Among enrolling districts (200+ students) with a reliable estimate; service entities excluded, see methodology.

Nationwide peers near South Dakota's smaller K-12 scale

Two nationwide peer sets for South Dakota: closest on estimated average teacher salary ($50,422 here) and closest on total student enrollment (141,415 here). Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not geographic containment.

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other states by unweighted district-mean teacher pay (F-33 derived, ≥5 districts with reliable estimates).

Similar enrollment

Nearest other states by NCES-reported K-12 enrollment. Salary peers above are excluded.

Compare Nearby-Ranked States

Missouri
$52,299
Rank #43
Texas
$51,478
Rank #44
Mississippi
$51,325
Rank #45
North Carolina
$49,898
Rank #47

Data: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey, FY2023. Salary figures divide instructional expenditure (variable Z33) by each district's reported teacher FTE, or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure. Not individual salary data. Read our methodology.

South Dakota teacher salary FAQ

What is the average teacher salary in South Dakota?

Across 121 South Dakota public school districts with reliable data, the average teacher salary is $50,422 (NCES CCD F-33 reported teacher salaries divided by CCD Staff Universe Survey teacher headcounts, FY2023). It is a district-level mean derived from finance filings, so it will not match a contract-salary survey exactly, read it as a relative comparison.

Which South Dakota school district pays teachers the most?

Eagle Butte School District 20-1 reports the highest average teacher salary in South Dakota at $61,852, while Wilmot School District 54-7 sits at the lower end at $37,639.

How does South Dakota teacher pay compare to the national average?

South Dakota's average of $50,422 is materially below the national average of $70,245 (-28.2%), ranking #46 of the 49 jurisdictions with a reliable district estimate.

How many school districts are in South Dakota?

South Dakota has 148 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 141,415 students.

How much do teachers make in South Dakota?

District-average teacher pay in South Dakota sits in a comparatively narrow band, from $37,639 in Wilmot School District 54-7 to $61,852 in Eagle Butte School District 20-1. With that little district-to-district spread the statewide figure is a reasonable guide to what most districts pay. These are district-wide averages from NCES CCD F-33 (FY2023), not individual salaries or pay-scale steps.

Can teachers earn $100,000 in South Dakota?

No South Dakota district with reliable data reports an estimated average teacher salary at or above $100,000; the state's highest is Eagle Butte School District 20-1 at $61,852. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.

How does South Dakota rank after adjusting for cost of living?

Within the separate enrollment-weighted state comparison, BEA's 2023 Regional Price Parity (88.1, US=100) adjusts South Dakota's nominal estimate of $53,003 from #45 to $60,128 and #43. The headline uses an unweighted district mean, so this does not replace it. Neither measure is take-home pay, taxes, or district/metro cost of living.

Explore South Dakota

Disclaimer & data sources

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher for South Dakota