worthsay

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

South Dakota · 2026 BLS salary data

Network Administration pay in South Dakota

The median wage is $75,010/yr — 24% below the national median. Among U.S. states, South Dakotais one of the lowest-paying states (#50 of 51).

The numbers in South Dakota

Real BLS state-level figures for Network Administration.

Median salary
$75,010/yr
Pay range (25th–75th)
$63,310 – $87,400
National median
$99,130/yr
Employed in South Dakota
1,690

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
$75,010
Adjusted for cost of living
≈ $84,661
State income tax
None

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 network administration professionals make in South Dakota?

The median annual wage is $75,010 (BLS OEWS, state estimates), with the middle 50% earning between $63,310 and $87,400. That's 24% below the national median.

Is South Dakota a good state for network administration?

By raw pay, South Dakota is one of the lowest-paying states (#50 of 51). Adjusted for cost of living (South Dakota costs 11% less than the U.S. average), that median is worth about $84,661. And with no state income tax, more of that pay stays in your pocket.

Are network administration professionals in demand in South Dakota?

About 1,690 people work in this field in South Dakota (BLS OEWS). Nationally, BLS projects -4.2% employment growth for this field from 2024 to 2034.

The verdict, pros, and cons below apply to Network Administration nationally — South Dakota pay is 24% below the national median. See the full Network Administration career guide →

The verdict

Caution — network administration still pays decently, but BLS projects the role to decline as cloud and automation absorb traditional on-prem work. Worth it only if you treat it as a stepping stone and continuously move toward cloud, security, or DevOps.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Decent pay for the required education
  • Solid technical foundation for IT careers
  • Certifications over degrees for entry
  • Skills transfer toward cloud and security
  • Every organization needs networking know-how

Cons

  • BLS projects the role to decline
  • Cloud and automation absorbing on-prem work
  • On-call and outage pressure
  • Requires constant re-skilling to stay relevant
  • Risk of stagnation without moving up

Who it's for

✓ A good fit if…

  • People who'll keep moving toward cloud/security/DevOps
  • Those wanting an IT foundation
  • Anyone treating it as a stepping stone

✗ Probably not if…

  • People expecting the traditional role to stay stable
  • Those unwilling to continuously re-skill

What people are actually asking

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