Salaries in South Dakota.
1 metro area. 3445 roles.
Average cost-of-living index: 0.85x national average. Last updated April 2026.
1 city tracked3445 roles
Highest Paying
$306,000
Principal Quantitative Researcher
Median Role
$268,000
Principal Cryptographer
Entry Level
$256,000
Chief Science Officer
Salary data sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), state pay-transparency job postings, and community submissions. Ranges reflect 25th to 75th percentile for full-time positions. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2025 index). Last updated June 2026.
South Dakota has 1 major metro area tracked in our salary database, with an average cost-of-living index of 0.85x the national average. The highest-paying role across the state is Principal Quantitative Researcher at $306,000 in Sioux Falls. The median role pays $268,000.
Metro areas in South Dakota
Top 30 salaries in South Dakota
| # | Role | Median | Top City | Range |
|---|
| 1 | Principal Quantitative Researcher | $306,000 | Sioux Falls | $239,000 to $398,000 |
| 2 | Principal AI Research Scientist | $298,000 | Sioux Falls | $232,000 to $387,000 |
| 3 | Distinguished Engineer | $292,000 | Sioux Falls | $221,000 to $371,000 |
| 4 | Technical Fellow | $289,000 | Sioux Falls | $225,000 to $375,000 |
| 5 | Principal AI Agent Architect | $286,000 | Sioux Falls | $224,000 to $372,000 |
| 6 | Principal AI Safety Engineer | $281,000 | Sioux Falls | $219,000 to $365,000 |
| 7 | Chief Security Officer | $278,000 | Sioux Falls | $216,000 to $361,000 |
| 8 | Principal Quantitative Developer | $276,000 | Sioux Falls | $215,000 to $359,000 |
| 9 | SVP of Product | $274,000 | Sioux Falls | $214,000 to $356,000 |
| 10 | Principal AI Compiler Engineer | $273,000 | Sioux Falls | $213,000 to $355,000 |
| 11 | Senior VP of Security | $272,000 | Sioux Falls | $212,000 to $353,000 |
| 12 | Senior VP of Product | $272,000 | Sioux Falls | $212,000 to $353,000 |
| 13 | Principal Applied Scientist | $271,000 | Sioux Falls | $211,000 to $352,000 |
| 14 | L7 Software Engineer | $271,000 | Sioux Falls | $212,000 to $353,000 |
| 15 | SVP of Technology | $270,000 | Sioux Falls | $211,000 to $352,000 |
| 16 | Principal Cryptographer | $268,000 | Sioux Falls | $209,000 to $348,000 |
| 17 | Senior Head of Security | $266,000 | Sioux Falls | $208,000 to $346,000 |
| 18 | Chief Strategy Officer | $264,000 | Sioux Falls | $206,000 to $343,000 |
| 19 | Principal AI Engineer | $263,000 | Sioux Falls | $205,000 to $342,000 |
| 20 | Chief Legal Officer | $263,000 | Sioux Falls | $205,000 to $341,000 |
| 21 | SVP of Engineering | $261,000 | Sioux Falls | $204,000 to $339,000 |
| 22 | Senior VP of Design | $261,000 | Sioux Falls | $204,000 to $339,000 |
| 23 | Staff Quantitative Researcher | $261,000 | Sioux Falls | $204,000 to $339,000 |
| 24 | Chief Design Officer | $261,000 | Sioux Falls | $203,000 to $339,000 |
| 25 | SVP of Data | $261,000 | Sioux Falls | $203,000 to $339,000 |
| 26 | Principal Deep Learning Engineer | $260,000 | Sioux Falls | $203,000 to $338,000 |
| 27 | Principal Kernel Engineer | $258,000 | Sioux Falls | $201,000 to $336,000 |
| 28 | Chief Architect | $258,000 | Sioux Falls | $201,000 to $335,000 |
| 29 | Principal AI Agent Engineer | $257,000 | Sioux Falls | $201,000 to $335,000 |
| 30 | Chief Science Officer | $256,000 | Sioux Falls | $200,000 to $332,000 |
Tax considerations in South Dakota
South Dakota has no state income tax. Sioux Falls has no city income tax. This zero income tax environment is a major draw for high earners seeking maximum take home pay.
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