The latest data from the National Education Association show that South Dakota paid its K-12 teachers an average of $58,486 in the 2024–2025 school year. That’s 78.5% of the national average of $74,495.
Come to South Dakota, make $16,000 less! That doesn’t shout opportunityor freedomto me.
By straight dollars, South Dakota ranks 46th in the nation for average teacher pay, ahead of West Virginia, Missouri, Louisiana, Florida, and last-place Mississippi at $54,975. Top teacher pay is in Washington, New York, and first-place California, the only state paying teachers an average six-figure salary, $103,552.
We can try to be nice and factor in cost of living, as reported by the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. By MERIC’s figures, South Dakota’s cost of living in 2025 was the 15th-lowest in the nation, at 91.8% of the national baseline. Divide every state’s average teacher pay by MERIC’s cost of living, and the relative purchasing power of South Dakota’s average teacher pay rises to 40th in the nation.
Without adjusting for cost of living, South Dakota ranks last in the seven-state region for teacher pay, within $1,000 of 44th-place Montana but well-behind region-leading Minnesota, which ranks 15th and beats the national average by $1,739 (2.3%). The average teacher moving from South Dakota to Minnesota enjoys a $17,748 raise, a pay boost of over 30%.
Adjusting for cost of living moves South Dakota ahead of Montana in ranking but still leaves South Dakota behind its other five neighbors. Minnesota’s cost of living is 93.6% of the national baseline, not much more than South Dakota’s, so when we adjust teacher pay for cost of living, Minnesota climbs to third-best in the nation. South Dakota teachers moving to Minnesota enjoy a 27.8% increase in their purchasing power.
| State | Teacher Pay AY2025 |
Rank TP | Cost of Living Index 2025 |
Teacher Pay divided by COL |
Rank TP/COL |
| Iowa | 65,312 | 30 | 89.8 | 72,731 | 18 |
| Minnesota | 76,234 | 15 | 93.6 | 81,447 | 3 |
| Montana | 59,305 | 44 | 96.8 | 61,265 | 46 |
| Nebraska | 63,326 | 34 | 91.8 | 68,983 | 28 |
| North Dakota | 60,704 | 41 | 91.1 | 66,634 | 33 |
| South Dakota | 58,486 | 46 | 91.8 | 63,710 | 40 |
| Wyoming | 65,668 | 28 | 94.6 | 69,416 | 25 |
Students in South Dakota are fifth in overall rank of those in debt and suffer that load at the highest proportion in the US. The Bendagate state is 37th in grant and work opportunities rank and is tied for 42nd in student work opportunities. But school boards spend a ridiculous amount of money on sport including one district that plans to close a rural school but spent $1.2 million on a field where American football injures students.
You can always teach in Canby and live in Gary.
Education funding is a wonderful topic to weigh in the race to cut taxes — especially property taxes — framework. Given all of our Gubernatorial candidates have some plan for cutting taxes, how will they also claim they will fix the underfunded education system of their state?
Now the 1/2 penny sales tax (for education) will be used AGAIN to reduce property taxes — the very taxes that fund education.
It is a constant disappointment to have the investment return, not to mention the multiplier effect of education funding, completely dismissed by SD.
Y’all sure get some good teachers, no matter what you pay ’em.
There could be more recognition, ‘ya know.
My horrible home state is 51st of states with the Best High School Budgeting Education, 50th in financial education performance and access, 49th in financial education growth, 49th in high school financial literacy, 48th in high schools ranked in top 10% and 48th in projected high school financial literacy grade by 2028.
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-the-best-high-schools-budgeting-education/145208
I’m surprised we ranked that high. South Dakota is not known for its educational priorities – unless it’s to work with the Department of War in a SCIF.
““It used to be that you talked about doing battle on the land or sea or in the air,” Rounds said following a closed-door briefing with DSU cybersecurity officials, staff and university President Jose-Marie Griffiths. “Today, those domains have grown to air, land, sea, space and cyberspace.”
Pugh said that shift has increased demand for skilled personnel across military and civilian roles.
“At the end of the day, the Army has great technology, great capabilities, but the people are still at the core and the center of that,” he said. “And I think cyber is really a key example of that. We need exquisite talent in both uniform and civilian roles.”
Already South Dakota’s primary pipeline for tech talent with a national reputation in cybersecurity, DSU is among nine universities nationwide with three National Security Agency cybersecurity designations. That means it has participation from multiple federal agencies, including the FBI, CISA and U.S. Cyber Command.
A third SCIF that’s being built in Sioux Falls is expected to exceed 100,000
The Dakota State University Applied Research Lab is expected to exceed 100,000 square feet and support cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and defense-related research and development”
https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/department-of-war-leaders-eye-dakota
Thank you Porter, I agree.