Dental Hygienist Salary in South Dakota: What Dental Hygienists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$83,230
Median (50th)
$92,210
75th percentile
$96,230
National median
$98,100
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1292), May 2025
What does a dental hygienist make in South Dakota?
The median dental hygienist in South Dakota earns $92,210 a year ($44.33 an hour), which is $5,890 below the national median of $98,100, but less than in nearby Minnesota ($103,970), Montana ($98,440) and Nebraska ($92,580). The mean is $89,180.
That ranks 33rd of the 49 states plus DC where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in South Dakota
The middle half of South Dakota dental hygienists earn $83,230 to $96,230. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $73,480, $1,400 below the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $98,290, $27,760 below the national 90th percentile.
How far the pay goes in South Dakota
The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts South Dakota's 2024 price level at 88.6 (U.S. = 100): prices overall run 11.4% below the national average, and housing (index 67.6) runs 32.4% below.
Converted to national average prices, the $92,210 median is worth about $104,090 — $5,990 above the national median of $98,100.
How many dental hygienists work in South Dakota
BLS counts about 630 dental hygienist jobs in South Dakota, 0.3% of the 222,740 nationwide, or 1.382 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dental hygienists hold a 4% smaller share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 0.96).
Dental Hygienist Salary by City in South Dakota
Across the 2 South Dakota metro areas where BLS publishes a dental hygienist median, pay runs from $91,890 in Rapid City to $92,350 in Sioux Falls, a spread of $460.
All dental roles by metro: Rapid City
Who's hiring dental hygienists in South Dakota now
DentistryHires has 5 open dental hygienist listings in South Dakota from 5 employers, spread across 5 cities including Mitchell and Sioux Falls.
3 post hourly pay, from $47 to $80 an hour. These are employers' posted ranges, not survey figures.
Dental Hygienist Regulatory Context in South Dakota
Dental hygienist practice in South Dakota is regulated by the South Dakota State Board of Dentistry.
Scope of practice — what a dental hygienist may do, and under what level of supervision — is set by state law and changes over time, so verify current rules with the board before relying on them.
How South Dakota Compares
Other dental salaries in South Dakota
- Dentist salary in South Dakota: median $158,140, $65,930 above the dental hygienist median
- Dental Assistant salary in South Dakota: median $47,900, $44,310 below the dental hygienist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in South Dakota: median $48,370, $43,840 below the dental hygienist median
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state and national estimates, all industries); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024. Price-adjusted pay divides the median by the price level. Listing counts and posted pay are live DentistryHires listings, refreshed hourly. A dash means BLS did not publish that figure; nothing is estimated.