Certified nursing assistant salary in South Dakota

Open certified nursing assistant jobs in South Dakota post a median of $22.50 an hour, the middle half $21.25–$23.75 (about $46,800 a year full time), $0.50 above the national posted median. From 62 jobs at 3 employers that state their pay.

Median posted /hr

Middle half /hr

A year, full time

estimate, 2,080 hours

BLS median in SD

May 2025

The jobs themselves: Certified nursing assistant jobs in South Dakota · Certified nursing assistant pay nationwide

What certified nursing assistants are paid in South Dakota

Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).

Posted hourly rates of 62 open jobs in South Dakota. Lowest posted $17, highest $29.50.

Posted on open jobs in South Dakota

$21.25–$23.75/hr

Middle half of 16 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $22.50. 73% of the 85 open certified nursing assistant jobs in South Dakota state an hourly rate.

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Certified nursing assistant pay by town in South Dakota

Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.

Town	Median posted	Posted range	Jobs (employers)
Sioux Falls	$23.50	$18.50–$29.50	14 (2)
Rapid City	$20	$18–$24	7 (2)
Aberdeen	$23.75	$19.75–$27.50	6 (1)
Yankton	$23.75	$19.75–$27.50	6 (1)
Tyndall	$22	$17–$29.50	5 (1)
Canton	$21.50	$18–$25.50	5 (1)
Canistota	$22	$18.50–$25.50	4 (1)
Miller	$21.25	$17–$25.50	4 (1)
Sturgis	$20	$18.20–$21.83	4 (1)
Gettysburg	$23.25	$19.75–$26	3 (1)
Mitchell	$23.25	$19.75–$27.50	3 (1)
Parkston	$23.25	$19.75–$27.50	3 (1)
Vermillion	$21.50	$17–$25.50	3 (1)
De Smet	$21.25	$17–$25.50	3 (1)

Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.

Certified nursing assistant pay by employer in South Dakota

What each employer posts for certified nursing assistants here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.

Employer	Median posted	Posted range	Jobs stating pay
Sanford Health	$22	$17–$29.50	32
Avera Health	$23	$19.75–$27.50	19
Monument Health	$20	$18.20–$21.83	11

Median of each employer's jobs in South Dakota (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for certified nursing assistants nationwide when it has such a page.

Best-paid open certified nursing assistant jobs in South Dakota

The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.

Senior CNA - FT Evenings
Sanford Health · Tyndall, SD· 1mo ago
$21.00–$29.50/hr
Sr. CNA - Full-time Days - SF Center
Sanford Health · Sioux Falls, SD· 2w ago
$20.50–$29.50/hr
Medication Aide | AESS Temp Staffing | PRN
Avera Health · Yankton, Brookings and 1 more, SD· 2mo ago
$20.75–$27.50/hr
Medication Aide (MA) | Long Term Care | PRN
Avera Health · Aberdeen, SD· 3w ago
$20.75–$27.50/hr
Certified Nurse Aide | Senior Care
Monument Health · Sturgis, SD· 3mo ago
$18.99–$21.83/hr
Medication Aide | Senior Care
Monument Health · Sturgis, SD· 1mo ago
$18.99–$21.83/hr

What BLS measures in South Dakota

What people employed in the occupation earned in the state, at every level of experience, from the BLS survey. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered.

Hourly wages, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, South Dakota. Each figure opens its BLS page.
BLS occupation	10th pct	25th pct	Median	75th pct	90th pct	Employed
Nursing Assistants (31-1131)	$14.96 (source: BLS OEWS, Nursing Assistants, opens in a new tab)	$17.71 (source: BLS OEWS, Nursing Assistants, opens in a new tab)	$18.65 (source: BLS OEWS, Nursing Assistants, opens in a new tab)	$21.12 (source: BLS OEWS, Nursing Assistants, opens in a new tab)	$22.17 (source: BLS OEWS, Nursing Assistants, opens in a new tab)	6,860 (source: BLS OEWS, Nursing Assistants, opens in a new tab)

BLS median by metro area

Sioux Falls, SD-MN$18.84/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Sioux Falls, SD-MN, opens in a new tab)
Rapid City, SD$18.51/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Rapid City, SD, opens in a new tab)
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD$18.72/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Sioux City, IA-NE-SD, opens in a new tab)

Certified nursing assistant salary in South Dakota: common questions

How much does a certified nursing assistant make in South Dakota?

Open certified nursing assistant jobs in South Dakota that state an hourly rate post a median of $22.50, the middle half $21.25–$23.75 (62 jobs from 3 employers). Full time that is about $46,800 a year. BLS measured a median of $18.65/hr ($38,800 a year) for people employed in the occupation in South Dakota (May 2025).

Where in South Dakota do certified nursing assistants earn the most?

By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: Sioux Falls ($23.50), Rapid City ($20), Aberdeen ($23.75) and Yankton ($23.75). The town table lists 14.

Which employers in South Dakota pay certified nursing assistants the most?

Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: Avera Health ($23), Sanford Health ($22) and Monument Health ($20).

How does South Dakota compare with the rest of the country?

The posted median in South Dakota ($22.50) is $0.50 above the national posted median of $22. In the BLS survey South Dakota ranks 34 of 52 by median wage.

Where do these figures come from?

From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 62 of 85 open certified nursing assistant jobs in South Dakota (73%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.

Sources and method

Only pay a job states is used, a range at its midpoint. In the state's median and middle half each employer's advertised range counts once, so an employer posting one range in many towns does not set the figure; a town's median follows the same rule. "Up to" ceilings, weekly travel rates and rates far from the occupation's median are left out. A state has a page while at least 8 jobs from 3 employers state a rate there. The yearly estimate is the hourly rate times 2,080 hours. BLS figures are as published.

CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read nightly from each employer's own careers site, published October 24, 2026
BLS OEWS May 2025: Nursing Assistants (SOC 31-1131), every state, published May 15, 2026
BLS OEWS May 2025: Nursing Assistants, national, published May 15, 2026
BLS OEWS May 2025: Nursing Assistants by metropolitan area, published May 15, 2026

Cite this page

CareJobs.Now. (2026). Certified nursing assistant salary in South Dakota. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/certified-nursing-assistant/south-dakota

How the board counts