Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Salary in South Dakota
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive in South Dakota have a median of $41,700 a year, below the national $47,540 (−12%); the state ranks 44th of 51 states by median. That is 11% less than the median across all occupations in South Dakota ($47,080). Every neighbouring state pays more: Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Iowa and Montana range from $43,940 in Montana to $51,400 in Minnesota. South Dakota employs 6,120 secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive, 13.4 per 1,000 jobs, the 45th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.22 means the occupation is more concentrated in South Dakota than nationally.
South Dakota vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| South Dakota | Hourly | $15.00 | $17.44 | $20.05 | $22.92 | $24.75 | $20.21 | 6,120 | 13.39 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $36,280 | $41,700 | $47,670 | $51,480 | $42,030 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.00 | $18.67 | $22.86 | $27.89 | $31.90 | $23.73 | 1,706,790 | – | – |
| Annual | $33,280 | $38,830 | $47,540 | $58,000 | $66,350 | $49,350 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 44th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 45th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.22
- Jobs per 1,000
- 13.39
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of South Dakota's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in South Dakota
3 metropolitan areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching South Dakota publish a row for secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $22.09 | $45,950 | $34,920 | $61,360 | 640 | 8.50 | 0.77 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $20.46 | $42,560 | $29,490 | $52,510 | 2,060 | 11.51 | 1.05 |
| Rapid City, SD | $20.06 | $41,720 | $31,500 | $53,040 | 990 | 13.36 | 1.22 |
| East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $20.05 | $41,700 | $32,050 | $49,780 | 1,870 | 14.03 | 1.28 |
| West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $19.77 | $41,120 | $31,590 | $50,970 | 1,120 | 17.74 | 1.62 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive (every state ranked) and the South Dakota wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS South Dakota estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.