South Dakota · SOC 29-1123
Physical Therapists in South Dakota
State salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025)
Geography used: wage and employment figures are BLS state estimates for South Dakota; the comparison figure is the United States national estimate.
Median Salary
$92,660
per year in this state
10% below
National Median
$102,760
per year nationally
Hourly Rate
$44.55/hr
median hourly
Employment
1,060
jobs in SD
Salary Range in South Dakota
Annual Salary Distribution
What This Means for Physical Therapists in South Dakota
According to BLS OEWS state estimates, South Dakota ranks #49 of 52 states and territories for Physical Therapists pay, the bottom 7% nationally. Full pay-distribution context, including how South Dakota compares to the national median, follows below.
This page captures the Physical Therapists labor market inside South Dakota using BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state estimates from the May 2025 release. Median annual pay lands at $92,660 ($44.55/hr per hour), while the state employs roughly 1,060 workers in this SOC code (29-1123). Relative to the national median of $102,760, the state estimate is 10% below. Explaining that difference would require separate evidence on industry, employer, prices, and worker mix.
Within South Dakota, the full pay distribution is wider than the median alone suggests. Workers at the 10th percentile earn $77,890, the 25th earns $82,380, the 75th reaches $103,630, and the 90th hits $107,870. The upper boundary is roughly 1.4× the lower boundary. These bands combine workers across experience levels, credentials, employers, industries, schedules, and specialties; the percentile table does not isolate any one factor's effect.
Use this state-level view as one layer in your research stack, not the full picture. Drill into the specific BLS local wage area within South Dakota where the job is located. A state estimate can differ substantially from a local-area estimate; this table does not establish why. Pair the wage here with state-specific cost of living (rent, taxes, energy, groceries) to see how far the paycheck actually goes. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, and nonproduction bonuses, so compare those items separately when reviewing an offer.
Top Paying Jobs in South Dakota
What this shows Bar width is each occupation's median wage relative to the top-paying job on this list. Hover or tap a row for its exact share of the leader and rank.
Small sample marks a row whose BLS estimate rests on fewer than 100 workers. It is still a published figure, but BLS reports more sampling error for cells this small: the median relative standard error of the mean wage is 3.9% under 100 workers against 2.3% at 100 or more (May 2025 state estimates). Small gaps in rank between neighbouring rows may not be meaningful.
Similar Occupations in South Dakota
Other roles in the same SOC major group, priced for this state's labor market.
Other states with similar Physical Therapists pay or employment
Two OEWS peer sets for this SOC code outside South Dakota. Same-major-group cards above stay in-state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors.
Similar median pay
Nearest state medians ($92,660 here).
- Physical Therapists in Montana · $91,450
- Physical Therapists in West Virginia · $96,600
- Physical Therapists in Nebraska · $97,090
- Physical Therapists in Alabama · $97,290
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (1,060 jobs here; floor 1,000).
- Physical Therapists in Idaho · 1,030
- Physical Therapists in Rhode Island · 1,020
- Physical Therapists in Delaware · 1,260
- Physical Therapists in New Mexico · 1,330
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS state median annual wage and reported employment for SOC 29-1123. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Related federal data for South Dakota
📊 BLS OEWS - South Dakota
Federal wage estimates by occupation
📈 BLS Employment Projections
10-year occupation growth, national
🏢 BLS QCEW state series
Quarterly employment and wage program (BLS)
🏛️ OPM FedScope
Federal workforce data by agency and location
⚖️ OSHA Establishment Search
Federal workplace-safety records
🏠 HUD Fair Market Rents
Federal area-level rent benchmarks
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Physical Therapists make in South Dakota?
The median annual salary for Physical Therapists in South Dakota is $92,660 (10% below national avg). Pay ranges from $77,890 (10th percentile) to $107,870 (90th percentile).
How many Physical Therapists work in South Dakota?
There are approximately 1,060 Physical Therapists employed in South Dakota, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
What is the hourly rate for Physical Therapists in South Dakota?
The median hourly wage for Physical Therapists in South Dakota is $44.55/hr.
Where does WageDex get its salary data?
All salary and employment data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. This occupation's South Dakota figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.