How much does a PT make in South Dakota?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $89,240 for PTs in South Dakota as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $79,750 and the 75th-percentile is $101,440.

What does the top of the PT pay scale look like in South Dakota?

The 90th percentile lands at $106,710. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $101,440.

Why is the BEA RPP for South Dakota different from a single CPI number?

BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. South Dakota's overall index of 88.1 reflects rents 64.8, services 81.3, and goods 97.4.

Where does South Dakota rank for PT pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, South Dakota ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

Is South Dakota a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for PTs?

Yes — the BEA RPP of 88.1 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $89,240 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $101,238. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for PTs comparing offers across regions.

What are the limits of these PT salary numbers?

BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for South Dakota?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within South Dakota.

South Dakota Physical Therapist Salary: BLS $89K Median, Real $101K (2026)

TL;DR

South Dakota pays PTs a BLS median of $89,240 — the more useful number is $101,238, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
Quartile range $79,750 (bottom 25%) to $101,440 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $67,670 to $106,710.
Cost of living below the national index lifts real wage by $11,998 over the nominal — a take-home arbitrage that nominal-ranking tables miss.
State ranks #50 nationally on nominal wage, #32 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
PT Compact participation in South Dakota lowers the cost and timeline of multi-state work for licensed PTs.

Wage breakdown — South Dakota

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$67,670	$76,768
P25 (lower quartile)	$79,750	$90,472
P50 (median)	$89,240	$101,238
P75 (upper quartile)	$101,440	$115,078
P90 (top tier)	$106,710	$121,056
Mean	$90,270	$102,406
Employment	940 PTs in South Dakota

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	South Dakota index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	88.1
Goods	97.4
Services	81.3
Rents	64.8

South Dakota sits below the national baseline (RPP 88.1), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 64.8.

After-tax take-home — South Dakota (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (PT)	$89,240	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$10,880	12.2% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	$0	no state income tax
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$6,827	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$71,533	80.2% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$81,150	÷ (88.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the South Dakota state-tax burden means for PT take-home

South Dakota levies no state income tax on wages, which is worth roughly $4,462 a year for a PT at the BLS median compared with the national-average state burden (≈5%). After the favorable cost of living, real take-home is $81,150 — higher than the nominal after-tax figure because RPP is below 100.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $101,020 for PTs with mean pay of $102,400 and total employment of 248,630. South Dakota sits at #50 on nominal pay and #32 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, South Dakota climbs 18 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Licensure — South Dakota (PT Compact)

South Dakota participates in the Physical Therapy Compact, with effective participation since 2018. PTs and PTAs with a Compact Privilege issued from another member state may practice in South Dakota without separately applying for a South Dakota license. South Dakota Compact Privilege fees are typically $45 per state per 1-year cycle (vs. $200–$400 + 60–90 days for traditional endorsement), making it the dominant pathway for travel PTs and multi-state telehealth practices.

South Dakota has been a Compact participant for 8 years as of 2026, putting it among the long-tenured members where the Compact pathway is the established norm at most employers and travel agencies.

Source: ptcompact.org state status — re-synced quarterly. See PT Compact reciprocity hub for the cross-state matrix and changelog for status changes.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a PT make in South Dakota?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $89,240 for PTs in South Dakota as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $79,750 and the 75th-percentile is $101,440.
What does the top of the PT pay scale look like in South Dakota?: The 90th percentile lands at $106,710. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $101,440.
Why is the BEA RPP for South Dakota different from a single CPI number?: BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. South Dakota's overall index of 88.1 reflects rents 64.8, services 81.3, and goods 97.4.
Where does South Dakota rank for PT pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, South Dakota ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
Is South Dakota a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for PTs?: Yes — the BEA RPP of 88.1 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $89,240 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $101,238. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for PTs comparing offers across regions.
What are the limits of these PT salary numbers?: BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for South Dakota?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within South Dakota.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 29-1123, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how South Dakota PT pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.