Engineering

Civil Engineer Salary in South Dakota (2026)

The average Civil Engineer in South Dakota earns around $100,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $79,180/year ($6,598/month).

Take-Home Pay Breakdown

CategoryAmount
Annual Take-Home Pay
$79,180
Monthly Take-Home Pay
$6,598
Biweekly Take-Home Pay
$3,045
Hourly Take-Home Pay

based on 2,080 hrs/year

$38/hr
Federal Tax
$13,170
State Tax
$0
FICA Taxes
$7,650
Effective Tax Rate

total taxes ÷ gross salary

20.82%
Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

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Civil Engineer Salary Ranges in South Dakota

Entry Level (0–3 yrs)

$75,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Mid Level (3–7 yrs)

$100,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Senior Level (7+ yrs)

$145,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Not all Civil Engineers earn the same — not even close

South Dakota's civil engineering market is anchored by South Dakota Department of Transportation SDDOT (the substantial post-2024 SDDOT I-29 + I-90 + I-190 corridor + the substantial Black Hills Highway 16 + Mount Rushmore access + the substantial SD-Wyoming + SD-Nebraska + SD-North Dakota border infrastructure), Ellsworth Air Force Base Rapid City (~8K + 28th Bomb Wing + post-2024 B-21 Raider main operating base infrastructure ramp + the substantial Ellsworth facility expansion), Sanford Underground Research Facility SURF Lead (the substantial former Homestake mine + DUNE + LZ physics facility civil + the substantial post-2024 DUNE excavation), the substantial SD wind energy infrastructure (post-IRA 2022 acceleration + post-2024 SD #3 US wind state by per-capita), South Dakota Mines (School of Mines and Technology Rapid City + the substantial SD Mines Civil + Environmental + Mining Engineering), USACE Omaha District + the substantial Missouri River infrastructure, plus SDSU + USD + Black Hills State engineering pipelines.

Senior CE (SDDOT / Transportation)

$92,000–$138,000+ benefits

SDDOT · the substantial post-2024 I-29 + I-90 + I-190 + Black Hills Highway 16

Senior CE (Cleared / Ellsworth B-21 Facilities)

$112,000–$168,000+ TC

Ellsworth AFB + post-2024 B-21 Raider · cleared facility CE + TS/SCI premium

Senior CE (SURF Lead / DUNE)

$108,000–$162,000+ TC

Sanford Underground Research Facility · DUNE + LZ + DOE physics facility CE

Senior CE (Mount Rushmore / Black Hills)

$88,000–$132,000+ bonus

Mount Rushmore + Black Hills + Crazy Horse + Badlands + the substantial NPS SD

Senior CE (USACE Missouri River)

$95,000–$148,000

USACE Omaha District · Missouri River + Oahe Dam + Big Bend + Fort Randall

Senior Structural Engineer

$92,000–$138,000+ TC

Structural at AECOM + Stanley Consultants + private practice + the substantial SD

Senior Water / Environmental Engineer

$85,000–$128,000+ bonus

Water + environmental · the substantial SD Missouri River + Black Hills aquifer

Senior Construction Manager

$98,000–$152,000+ bonus

Construction management at major SD infrastructure + Ellsworth B-21 + SURF + SDDOT

Mid-Career CE (3-7 yrs)

$68,000–$98,000

Functional CE at SD firms + SDDOT · transitioning to senior band

Junior CE (0-3 yrs)

$55,000–$72,000

SD Mines + SDSU + USD + Black Hills State Engineering pipeline · entry band

Worth knowing: Ellsworth AFB post-2024 B-21 Raider main operating base infrastructure ramp + Sanford Underground Research Facility SURF Lead DUNE excavation dual-anchor is one of the country's distinctive concentrated US single-state cleared aerospace facility + physics underground facility CE anchor and a feature most national CE surveys understate for SD. Ellsworth Air Force Base (~8K + the substantial post-2024 B-21 Raider main operating base selection as one of the country's first US B-21 Raider basing decisions + the substantial Ellsworth post-2024 B-21 infrastructure ramp including hangar + maintenance facility + flight line + the substantial Ellsworth $440M+ post-2024 B-21 facility construction + the substantial Ellsworth-Powder River Training Complex range infrastructure) supports substantial SD cleared facility CE. Senior cleared Ellsworth B-21 facility CEs clear $112-168K+ TC. Sanford Underground Research Facility SURF Lead (the substantial former Homestake gold mine 4,850 ft underground + the substantial DUNE Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment + LZ LUX-ZEPLIN dark matter + the substantial post-2024 DUNE Far Detector excavation + the substantial post-2024 LBNF Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility construction) supports substantial SD physics facility CE. SDDOT I-29 + I-90 + I-190 + Black Hills + Mount Rushmore + USACE Omaha District Missouri River + Oahe Dam + the substantial SD wind energy infrastructure. SD 0% state income tax + SD RTW since 1946 anchor the SD CE proposition.

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