How much does a Vet make in South Dakota?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $89,970 for Vets 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 $73,000 and the 75th-percentile is $128,580.

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

The 90th percentile lands at $138,840. 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 $128,580.

Where does South Dakota rank for Vet 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.

What are the limits of these Vet 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.

When does this data update?

BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.

Has corporate consolidation (Mars/VCA/Banfield) changed vet pay in South Dakota?

Substantially. The roll-up of independent veterinary practices by Mars Petcare (Banfield, BluePearl, VCA), Patterson Companies, and PE-backed groups has shifted South Dakota vet employment toward corporate-employed associate roles with structured pay grids and away from owner-operator economics. BLS captures W-2 wages, so corporate associate pay is fully represented; what's UNDERSTATED is the historical small-practice owner income (K-1 distributions excluded from BLS). Net effect in South Dakota: the BLS median has compressed slightly relative to a decade ago as associate pay has stabilized but practice-owner equity returns shrink.

Rural vs urban vs specialty vet pay in South Dakota?

BLS does not segment by practice setting or specialty within 29-1131. In South Dakota, rural and food-animal practice typically pays at or below the BLS median but offers loan-repayment incentives (USDA VMLRP, state programs) that effectively boost compensation by $25-75K per year for committed rural practitioners. Urban small-animal practice clusters near or above median. Specialty practice (oncology, cardiology, surgery, ophthalmology, ER/critical care) pays above BLS P75 in South Dakota markets with referral hospital infrastructure. Industry vets (pharma, animal-health R&D, regulatory, lab-animal medicine) earn highest of all settings, often above BLS P90.

South Dakota Veterinarian Salary: BLS $90K Median, Real $102K (2026)

TL;DR

Median Vet salary in South Dakota: $89,970 nominal, $102,066 real (BEA RPP basis).
State ranks #46 nationally on nominal wage, #44 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
Low BEA RPP (88.1) means the paycheck stretches further than the BLS number suggests; net lift roughly $12,096.
P25-P75 spread runs $73,000 to $128,580; P10 floor $60,560, P90 ceiling $138,840.

Wage breakdown — South Dakota

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$60,560	$68,702
P25 (lower quartile)	$73,000	$82,814
P50 (median)	$89,970	$102,066
P75 (upper quartile)	$128,580	$145,867
P90 (top tier)	$138,840	$157,506
Mean	$97,090	$110,143
Employment	240 Vets 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 (Vet)	$89,970	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$11,040	12.3% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	$0	no state income tax
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$6,883	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$72,047	80.1% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$81,733	÷ (88.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

South Dakota levies no state income tax on wages, which is worth roughly $4,499 a year for a Vet at the BLS median compared with the national-average state burden (≈5%). After the favorable cost of living, real take-home is $81,733 — 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 $125,510 for Vets with mean pay of $140,270 and total employment of 80,630. South Dakota sits at #46 on nominal pay and #44 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, South Dakota climbs 2 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Vet make in South Dakota?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $89,970 for Vets 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 $73,000 and the 75th-percentile is $128,580.
What does the top of the Vet pay scale look like in South Dakota?: The 90th percentile lands at $138,840. 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 $128,580.
Where does South Dakota rank for Vet 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.
What are the limits of these Vet 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.
When does this data update?: BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
Has corporate consolidation (Mars/VCA/Banfield) changed vet pay in South Dakota?: Substantially. The roll-up of independent veterinary practices by Mars Petcare (Banfield, BluePearl, VCA), Patterson Companies, and PE-backed groups has shifted South Dakota vet employment toward corporate-employed associate roles with structured pay grids and away from owner-operator economics. BLS captures W-2 wages, so corporate associate pay is fully represented; what's UNDERSTATED is the historical small-practice owner income (K-1 distributions excluded from BLS). Net effect in South Dakota: the BLS median has compressed slightly relative to a decade ago as associate pay has stabilized but practice-owner equity returns shrink.
Rural vs urban vs specialty vet pay in South Dakota?: BLS does not segment by practice setting or specialty within 29-1131. In South Dakota, rural and food-animal practice typically pays at or below the BLS median but offers loan-repayment incentives (USDA VMLRP, state programs) that effectively boost compensation by $25-75K per year for committed rural practitioners. Urban small-animal practice clusters near or above median. Specialty practice (oncology, cardiology, surgery, ophthalmology, ER/critical care) pays above BLS P75 in South Dakota markets with referral hospital infrastructure. Industry vets (pharma, animal-health R&D, regulatory, lab-animal medicine) earn highest of all settings, often above BLS P90.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 29-1131, 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 2026-05-07.

Cross-comparison: see how South Dakota Vet 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.