Dentist Salary in South Dakota: What Dentists Earn in 2026
25th percentile
$104,540
Median (50th)
$158,140
75th percentile
$191,280
National median
$170,950
BLS OEWS (SOC 29-1021), May 2025
What does a dentist make in South Dakota?
The median dentist in South Dakota earns $158,140 a year ($76.03 an hour), which is $12,810 below the national median of $170,950, but less than in nearby North Dakota ($220,660), Minnesota ($219,200) and Iowa ($181,520). The mean is $164,030.
That ranks 40th of the 47 states where BLS publishes a dentist median.
Entry-level vs top earners in South Dakota
The middle half of South Dakota dentists earn $104,540 to $191,280. The lowest-paid tenth earn under $94,560, $8,310 above the national 10th percentile. The top tenth earn over $250,780, $68,850 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 $158,140 median is worth about $178,520 — $7,570 above the national median of $170,950.
How many dentists work in South Dakota
BLS counts about 390 dentist jobs in South Dakota, 0.3% of the 124,390 nationwide, or 0.844 per 1,000 jobs in the state. Dentists hold a 5% larger share of local jobs than nationally (location quotient 1.05).
Dentist Salary by City in South Dakota
Across the 2 South Dakota metro areas where BLS publishes a dentist median, pay runs from $158,140 in Rapid City to $181,140 in Sioux Falls, a spread of $23,000.
All dental roles by metro: Rapid City
Who's hiring dentists in South Dakota now
DentistryHires has no open dentist listings in South Dakota at the moment.
Dentist Regulatory Context in South Dakota
Dentist practice in South Dakota is regulated by the South Dakota State Board of Dentistry.
Scope of practice — what a dentist 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
- Dental Hygienist salary in South Dakota: median $92,210, $65,930 below the dentist median
- Dental Assistant salary in South Dakota: median $47,900, $110,240 below the dentist median
- Dental Lab Technician salary in South Dakota: median $48,370, $109,770 below the dentist 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.