SOC 45-4011 · Rapid City, SD metro

Forest and Conservation Workers Salary in Rapid City, SD

The average salary for forest and conservation workers in Rapid City, South Dakota is $49,360 a year ($23.73 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $50,110: half of the 40 people in this job in the Rapid City, SD metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 12% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($44,124).

$49,360average per year

$23.73 / hourMedian $50,110Take-home ≈ $41,841

  • $32K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $50KMedian
  • $59K75th
  • $61K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

40people in this job
+12%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 2South Dakota metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Forest and Conservation Workers pay range in Rapid City

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,900 a year or less, while the top 10% make $61,010 or more. The middle half of forest and conservation workers in Rapid City earn between $37,450 and $58,750.

  • $32K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $50KMedian
  • $59K75th
  • $61K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$49,360$4,113$23.73
Median$50,110$4,176$24.09
Entry level (25th percentile)$37,450$3,121$18.00
Experienced (75th percentile)$58,750$4,896$28.25

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Forest and Conservation Workers salary after taxes in Rapid City

On the average salary of $49,360, a single filer in Rapid City takes home about $41,841 a year, or $3,487 a month and $1,609 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

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Is Rapid City a good place for forest and conservation workers? 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 $49,360 buys what about $55,361 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Rapid City ($46,270). A typical home costs $374,117, or 7.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $49,360 is worth in another city

Forest and Conservation Workers salary in other South Dakota cities

Rapid City ranks 1st of 2 South Dakota metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Forest and Conservation Workers salaries in South Dakota

Highest-paying cities for forest and conservation workers

Boston, MA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($51,790).

Forest and Conservation Workers salary by city

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Forest and Conservation Workers salary in Rapid City: questions

How much do forest and conservation workers make an hour in Rapid City?

$23.73 an hour on average, and $24.09 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level forest and conservation workers salary in Rapid City?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,900 a year and the 25th percentile is $37,450, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the forest and conservation workers take-home pay in Rapid City?

About $41,841 a year ($3,487 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $49,360. South Dakota has no state income tax.

Do forest and conservation workers earn more in Rapid City than elsewhere?

The average here is 12% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($44,124).

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 45-4011; area Rapid City, SD (39660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.0%.
  • 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 14.65, this job is 14.7 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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