SOC 29-1127 · Rapid City, SD metro

Speech-Language Pathologists Salary in Rapid City, SD

The average salary for speech-language pathologists in Rapid City, South Dakota is $75,870 a year ($36.47 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $71,690: half of the 80 people in this job in the Rapid City, SD metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 24% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($99,493).

$75,870average per year

$36.47 / hourMedian $71,690Take-home ≈ $62,205

  • $64K10th
  • $64K25th
  • $72KMedian
  • $82K75th
  • $99K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

80people in this job
-24%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 2South Dakota metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Speech-Language Pathologists pay range in Rapid City

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $64,280 a year or less, while the top 10% make $99,450 or more. The middle half of speech-language pathologists in Rapid City earn between $64,280 and $82,490.

  • $64K10th
  • $64K25th
  • $72KMedian
  • $82K75th
  • $99K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$75,870$6,322$36.48
Median$71,690$5,974$34.47
Entry level (25th percentile)$64,280$5,357$30.90
Experienced (75th percentile)$82,490$6,874$39.66

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

Speech-Language Pathologists salary after taxes in Rapid City

On the average salary of $75,870, a single filer in Rapid City takes home about $62,205 a year, or $5,184 a month and $2,392 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% 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 speech-language pathologists? 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 $75,870 buys what about $85,094 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Rapid City ($46,270). A typical home costs $374,117, or 4.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $75,870 is worth in another city

Speech-Language Pathologists 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 Speech-Language Pathologists salaries in South Dakota

Highest-paying cities for speech-language pathologists

El Centro, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($139,700).

Speech-Language Pathologists salary by city

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Speech-Language Pathologists salary in Rapid City: questions

How much do speech-language pathologists make an hour in Rapid City?

$36.47 an hour on average, and $34.47 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level speech-language pathologists salary in Rapid City?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $64,280 a year and the 25th percentile is $64,280, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the speech-language pathologists take-home pay in Rapid City?

About $62,205 a year ($5,184 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $75,870. South Dakota has no state income tax.

Do speech-language pathologists earn more in Rapid City than elsewhere?

The average here is 24% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($99,493).

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 29-1127; area Rapid City, SD (39660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.3%.
  • 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 0.89, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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