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Database Administration Salary in South Dakota: Is It a Good Career?

South Dakota · 2026 BLS salary data

Database Administration pay in South Dakota

The median wage is $82,540/yr — 21% below the national median. Among U.S. states, South Dakotaranks #46 of 51 states by median pay.

The numbers in South Dakota

Real BLS state-level figures for Database Administration.

Median salary
$82,540/yr
Pay range (25th–75th)
$74,980 – $98,690
National median
$104,620/yr
Employed in South Dakota
170

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS), state estimates, May 2025 release.

What that pay is really worth in South Dakota

Salary alone can mislead — South Dakota costs 11% less than the U.S. average. Here's the median adjusted for local prices (real purchasing power).

Cost of living (US=100)
88.6
Nominal median
$82,540
Adjusted for cost of living
≈ $93,160
State income tax
None

Because South Dakota costs 11% less than the U.S. average, its pay stretches further — it ranks #42 of 51 once adjusted for cost of living, up from #46 on raw salary.

South Dakota levies no state income tax, so more of that pay stays in your pocket than in high-tax states.

Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities (all items, US=100), 2024. Adjusted pay = nominal median ÷ (RPP/100) — purchasing power vs the U.S. average. State income tax = top marginal rate on wage income (Tax Foundation, 2025); your effective rate is lower and depends on income and deductions.

FAQ

How much do database administration professionals make in South Dakota?

The median annual wage is $82,540 (BLS OEWS, state estimates), with the middle 50% earning between $74,980 and $98,690. That's 21% below the national median.

Is South Dakota a good state for database administration?

By raw pay, South Dakota ranks #46 of 51 states by median pay. Adjusted for cost of living (South Dakota costs 11% less than the U.S. average), that median is worth about $93,160. Because South Dakota costs 11% less than the U.S. average, its pay stretches further — it ranks #42 of 51 once adjusted for cost of living, up from #46 on raw salary. And with no state income tax, more of that pay stays in your pocket.

Are database administration professionals in demand in South Dakota?

About 170 people work in this field in South Dakota (BLS OEWS). Nationally, BLS projects -0.7% employment growth for this field from 2024 to 2034.

The verdict, pros, and cons below apply to Database Administration nationally — South Dakota pay is 21% below the national median. See the full Database Administration career guide →

The verdict

Mixed — database administration pays well and remains important, but BLS projects roughly flat-to-declining demand as managed cloud databases reduce traditional DBA work. Worth it if you evolve toward cloud data platforms, data engineering, or analytics.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Strong pay for the role
  • Deep, valuable data-systems expertise
  • Foundation for data engineering and analytics
  • Demand for data skills overall is rising
  • Certifications and experience over degrees

Cons

  • BLS projects flat-to-declining demand
  • Managed cloud databases reduce classic DBA work
  • On-call for critical data systems
  • Requires re-skilling toward cloud platforms
  • High responsibility for data integrity

Who it's for

✓ A good fit if…

  • People who'll move toward cloud/data engineering
  • Those who like data systems and performance tuning
  • Anyone building broad data expertise

✗ Probably not if…

  • People expecting the classic DBA role to grow
  • Those unwilling to adopt cloud data platforms

What people are actually asking

Real Reddit discussions on whether Database Administration is worth it — titles link to the original threads.