Bartenders pay range in Rapid City
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,680 a year or less, while the top 10% make $41,480 or more. The middle half of bartenders in Rapid City earn between $28,220 and $34,780.
- $28K10th
- $28K25th
- $30KMedian
- $35K75th
- $41K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $32,760 | $2,730 | $15.75 |
| Median | $29,500 | $2,458 | $14.18 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $28,220 | $2,352 | $13.57 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $34,780 | $2,898 | $16.72 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Bartenders salary after taxes in Rapid City
On the average salary of $32,760, a single filer in Rapid City takes home about $28,503 a year, or $2,375 a month and $1,096 every two weeks. Taxes take 13% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Rapid City a good place for bartenders? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Rapid City area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.2), so the average $32,760 buys what about $36,743 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Rapid City ($46,270). A typical home costs $374,117, or 11.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Bartenders salary in other South Dakota cities
Rapid City ranks 2nd of 2 South Dakota metro areas for this job; Sioux Falls pays the most ($33,330).
- Sioux Falls$33,330
- Rapid City$32,760
Highest-paying cities for bartenders
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($91,360).
- Kahului, HI$91,360
- Honolulu, HI$72,660
- New York, NY$63,630
- Seattle, WA$62,090
- Portland, ME$60,600
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Bartenders salary in Rapid City: questions
How much do bartenders make an hour in Rapid City?
$15.75 an hour on average, and $14.18 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level bartenders salary in Rapid City?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,680 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,220, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the bartenders take-home pay in Rapid City?
About $28,503 a year ($2,375 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $32,760. South Dakota has no state income tax.
Do bartenders earn more in Rapid City than elsewhere?
The average here is 21% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($41,635).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-3011; area Rapid City, SD (39660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.5%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.95, this job is 1.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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