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News Release Information

25-954-CHI
Friday, June 13, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

County Employment and Wages in South Dakota — Fourth Quarter 2024

Employment rose 1.9 percent in South Dakota’s only large county, Minnehaha, from December 2023 to December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Julie Wilson noted that the rate of employment growth in Minnehaha ranked 30th among the 363 largest U.S. counties with published data. (See table 1.)

Employment in Minnehaha stood at 140,200 in December 2024, accounting for 30.5 percent of total employment in South Dakota. Nationwide, the 369 largest counties comprise 73.3 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2023.)

Large county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter 2024

The average weekly wage in Minnehaha increased 3.1 percent over the year to $1,306. The national average was $1,507, up 5.0 percent over the year. Minnehaha’s weekly wage ranked 197th nationally, and the percent change ranked 291st among the largest U.S. counties.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the fourth quarter of 2024

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 65 small counties in South Dakota, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2023. (See table 2.) Wage levels for 64 of the 65 smaller counties were below the national average. Union reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,531). Jones reported the lowest average weekly wage ($708) in the state.

Among all 66 South Dakota counties, 16 reported average weekly wages of less than $925, 19 registered wages from $925 to $1,024, 15 had wages from $1,025 to $1,124, and 16 had average weekly wages of $1,125 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in South Dakota, fourth quarter 2024

(U.S. average = $1,507 )


Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages release for the first quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.

QCEW Moves to One Data Release Beginning with Fourth Quarter 2024 Publication

The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) is streamlining its release process. Beginning with the fourth quarter 2024 national release on June 4, QCEW will publish the national County Employment and Wages news release on the same date as the QCEW full data update. Revised news release dates are available online.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the largest county in South Dakota, fourth quarter 2024
Area Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2024
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2023–24 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)
Fourth quarter
2024 ($)
National ranking
by level (3)
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2023–24 (2)
National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,265.4 156,202.9 0.8 -- 1,507 -- 5.0 --

South Dakota

40.6 459.7 0.9 -- 1,181 47 3.9 38

Minnehaha

10.1 140.2 1.9 30 1,306 197 3.1 291

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in South Dakota, fourth quarter 2024
Area Establishments Employment December 2024 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,265,395 156,202,874 1,507

South Dakota

40,647 459,697 1,181

Aurora

101 799 875

Beadle

686 8,570 1,026

Bennett

100 865 858

Bon Homme

240 1,714 970

Brookings

1,395 19,339 1,116

Brown

1,532 19,688 1,111

Brule

256 2,003 836

Buffalo

28 529 1,058

Butte

476 2,866 956

Campbell

77 425 1,025

Charles Mix

378 3,525 993

Clark

190 1,173 938

Clay

481 6,140 927

Codington

1,441 17,309 1,047

Corson

68 764 981

Custer

419 2,304 1,002

Davison

842 12,582 1,105

Day

274 1,947 906

Deuel

202 1,522 1,126

Dewey

158 2,548 1,036

Douglas

137 1,043 930

Edmunds

189 1,243 1,160

Fall River

360 2,477 1,004

Faulk

127 694 915

Grant

386 3,796 1,102

Gregory

231 1,651 834

Haakon

112 794 932

Hamlin

282 2,687 1,154

Hand

170 1,488 921

Hanson

110 669 1,034

Harding

67 448 907

Hughes

932 10,765 1,244

Hutchinson

305 2,794 1,025

Hyde

77 565 1,136

Jackson

86 655 805

Jerauld

106 1,575 1,049

Jones

59 402 708

Kingsbury

270 1,742 1,002

Lake

499 5,172 1,169

Lawrence

1,644 13,686 962

Lincoln

2,555 29,717 1,363

Lyman

147 1,365 753

McCook

248 1,338 1,016

McPherson

96 571 864

Marshall

214 1,668 1,146

Meade

1,069 8,603 1,154

Mellette

42 328 787

Miner

108 785 884

Minnehaha

10,074 140,171 1,306

Moody

221 2,468 1,126

Oglala Lakota

137 3,862 1,201

Pennington

5,843 61,735 1,155

Perkins

142 1,157 838

Potter

145 790 1,001

Roberts

310 3,439 927

Sanborn

91 615 859

Spink

270 2,255 1,105

Stanley

157 1,339 956

Sully

98 721 1,218

Todd

110 2,937 1,032

Tripp

268 2,406 1,013

Turner

352 2,379 966

Union

892 9,756 1,531

Walworth

253 2,059 942

Yankton

872 13,118 1,135

Ziebach

30 252 1,064

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, fourth quarter 2024
State Establishments,
fourth quarter
(thousands)
Employment Average weekly wage (1)
December 2024
(thousands)
Percent change,
December
2023–24
Fourth quarter
2024 ($)
National ranking
by level
Percent change,
fourth quarter
2023–24
National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,265.4 156,202.9 0.8 1,507 -- 5.0 --

Alabama

162.3 2,122.2 0.9 1,255 36 4.1 32

Alaska

25.3 317.4 1.7 1,430 16 4.2 30

Arizona

225.5 3,272.3 1.2 1,406 19 6.4 6

Arkansas

106.1 1,312.6 1.1 1,153 50 5.9 10

California

1,903.9 18,230.8 0.5 1,872 5 6.5 5

Colorado

236.6 2,911.3 -0.3 1,594 8 5.1 16

Connecticut

150.7 1,700.7 0.5 1,716 6 5.2 15

Delaware

45.2 480.6 1.5 1,437 15 4.5 24

District of Columbia

52.4 757.2 -0.5 2,495 1 4.7 21

Florida

914.8 9,978.9 0.9 1,405 20 5.7 13

Georgia

396.6 4,916.6 0.8 1,391 21 4.7 21

Hawaii

61.4 651.3 1.1 1,345 27 4.3 26

Idaho

103.9 859.1 0.5 1,232 39 8.3 3

Illinois

411.2 6,089.1 0.5 1,538 12 4.1 32

Indiana

194.6 3,201.9 0.4 1,222 44 4.4 25

Iowa

112.5 1,559.3 -0.6 1,237 38 3.2 50

Kansas

103.5 1,445.6 0.9 1,218 45 4.3 26

Kentucky

159.0 2,008.4 0.2 1,189 46 3.8 39

Louisiana

156.8 1,936.3 1.1 1,228 40 2.8 51

Maine

66.2 643.9 0.9 1,278 33 5.9 10

Maryland

197.0 2,779.9 1.6 1,570 10 4.2 30

Massachusetts

288.5 3,646.1 -0.4 1,890 3 4.7 21

Michigan

303.4 4,406.8 -0.1 1,370 23 4.1 32

Minnesota

215.1 2,945.4 1.1 1,452 14 3.7 42

Mississippi

90.9 1,174.3 0.2 1,023 51 4.1 32

Missouri

251.5 2,922.2 0.5 1,268 35 3.8 39

Montana

65.8 512.8 0.5 1,254 37 6.4 6

Nebraska

78.0 1,024.8 0.5 1,227 41 3.5 45

Nevada

108.1 1,561.5 0.4 1,350 25 6.1 9

New Hampshire

68.7 692.4 0.4 1,577 9 3.3 49

New Jersey

339.1 4,332.2 0.9 1,629 7 3.4 47

New Mexico

68.9 873.8 0.3 1,223 42 5.0 17

New York

711.5 9,777.3 1.5 1,881 4 5.4 14

North Carolina

384.0 4,941.9 0.5 1,358 24 5.8 12

North Dakota

36.9 431.1 0.9 1,315 30 3.8 39

Ohio

346.3 5,551.7 0.6 1,305 32 4.8 20

Oklahoma

129.7 1,713.2 0.8 1,168 48 4.1 32

Oregon

190.9 1,989.6 0.0 1,424 17 6.6 4

Pennsylvania

395.1 6,076.5 0.8 1,414 18 4.0 37

Rhode Island

48.9 500.8 1.6 1,348 26 3.5 45

South Carolina

195.3 2,310.1 1.4 1,223 42 6.2 8

South Dakota

40.6 459.7 0.9 1,181 47 3.9 38

Tennessee

232.2 3,320.3 0.9 1,372 22 5.0 17

Texas

846.0 14,129.7 1.5 1,488 13 4.3 26

Utah

142.6 1,735.8 1.3 1,333 29 3.7 42

Vermont

33.7 311.2 0.0 1,311 31 4.9 19

Virginia

320.9 4,142.6 1.2 1,546 11 4.3 26

Washington

241.5 3,612.0 0.8 1,897 2 8.7 2

West Virginia

62.7 701.4 0.2 1,159 49 3.4 47

Wisconsin

212.2 2,950.8 0.4 1,278 33 3.6 44

Wyoming

31.1 279.4 0.5 1,340 28 12.4 1

Puerto Rico

51.6 975.4 -0.2 718 (3) 4.5 (3)

Virgin Islands

3.0 33.1 -8.6 1,046 (3) 1.8 (3)

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, June 13, 2025