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Food Jobs & Pay in South Dakota
About 52,510 people in South Dakota work in food-related jobs. Median pay by occupation, with the national median in the last column.
Restaurants & service
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 15,150 | $29,490 | $27,880 – $36,380 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 7,350 | $28,990 | $27,030 – $37,290 | $35,230 |
| Bartenders | 3,930 | $29,400 | $27,400 – $38,180 | $34,340 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 3,270 | $30,430 | $26,510 – $38,580 | $35,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 2,920 | $40,640 | $34,350 – $50,670 | $44,080 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 2,550 | $29,920 | $27,110 – $37,960 | $33,980 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 2,120 | $36,730 | $30,140 – $45,650 | $37,450 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 2,000 | $32,380 | $27,950 – $46,440 | $35,880 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,890 | $36,220 | $30,140 – $44,990 | $37,390 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 1,720 | $30,950 | $25,410 – $34,910 | $30,890 |
| Dishwashers | 1,240 | $28,190 | $24,230 – $36,750 | $34,810 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 630 | $30,310 | $25,380 – $36,800 | $31,200 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 300 | $48,470 | $37,450 – $57,820 | $62,470 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 160 | $31,980 | $26,810 – $43,070 | $35,360 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 2,080 | $44,290 | $35,730 – $48,150 | $38,300 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 740 | $44,410 | $34,950 – $48,080 | $40,130 |
| Food Batchmakers | 660 | $39,200 | $32,180 – $56,640 | $42,290 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 520 | $37,310 | $33,830 – $56,060 | $40,140 |
| Bakers | 330 | $38,340 | $28,880 – $50,360 | $37,160 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 120 | $45,040 | $37,040 – $60,220 | $44,810 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 120 | $39,270 | $31,280 – $48,890 | $41,590 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 380 | $39,900 | $30,140 – $48,720 | $35,730 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 240 | $48,060 | $38,480 – $53,250 | $41,730 |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 190 | $42,260 | $30,180 – $50,080 | $35,660 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 100 | $38,000 | $32,260 – $51,260 | $36,670 |
| Animal Breeders | 40 | $44,850 | $38,480 – $48,750 | $51,130 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 210 | $64,890 | $50,260 – $88,710 | $76,400 |
| Food Science Technicians | 100 | $48,760 | $33,790 – $54,440 | $52,130 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 90 | $71,330 | $41,990 – $147,530 | $88,720 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 1,270 | $60,640 | $50,880 – $79,010 | $69,390 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 90 | $60,440 | $49,350 – $77,270 | $60,220 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, most recent annual estimate. Some occupations are suppressed in smaller states and are omitted. Median pay is the middle of the wage distribution; employment counts exclude the self-employed. Labour-market data, not job listings.