Federal Employment in South Dakota
South Dakota employs 9,174 federal civilian workers - 0.4% of the federal workforce, at an average salary of $89,016, drawn directly from OPM FedScope (March 2025). Explore the top agencies, pay, and length of service below.
What the Numbers Say About Federal Employment in South Dakota
South Dakota is home to 9,174 federal civilian employees, which is 0.4% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 recorded in OPM FedScope for March 2025. Versus the prior reporting period, the state's federal headcount moved down by -2.6%, reflecting the combined effect of new hires via USAJOBS, retirements, inter-state transfers, and attrition across the 16 federal agencies currently operating on state soil.
Pay in South Dakota averages $89,016 across all federal grades and occupations, placing the state 19.0% below the national federal civilian average of $109,869. The gap reflects locality-pay tables, the mix of headquarters versus field-office roles, and the occupational profile of agencies that concentrate here. Average length of service is 11 years, a signal of workforce stability and the degree to which federal careers anchor local economies.
The largest federal employer in South Dakota is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 3,126 employees at an average salary of $92,696. The highest-paying agency in the state is FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION at $138,876 average salary. For job seekers browsing USAJOBS postings filtered to South Dakota, these agency-level concentrations matter because they determine which career ladders, locality-pay tables, and mission areas dominate local federal employment. All figures come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, updated semi-annually (March and September).
Federal Employees
9,174
-2.6% from prior period
Average Salary
$89,016
Below federal average
+4.3%
Avg Length of Service
11 yrs
Average tenure
Agencies Present
16
Salary Context
How federal pay in South Dakota compares to the national average of $109,869
State Average
$89,016
National Average
$109,869
vs. National Avg
-19.0%
Federal Agencies in South Dakota
16 federal agencies operate in South Dakota. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest with 3,126 employees.
The 10 largest federal agencies in South Dakota by civilian headcount.
| # | Agency | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS | 3,126 | $92,696 | 8.9 yrs |
| 2 | DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES | 1,360 | $88,852 | 11.1 yrs |
| 3 | DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR | 1,173 | $80,388 | 14.8 yrs |
| 4 | DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE | 1,000 | $78,482 | 12.6 yrs |
| 5 | DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE | 638 | $76,887 | 10.3 yrs |
| 6 | DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY | 536 | $86,954 | 10.8 yrs |
| 7 | DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE | 264 | $100,580 | 11.1 yrs |
| 8 | DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | 205 | $125,826 | 13.3 yrs |
| 9 | DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY | 148 | $81,935 | 8.9 yrs |
| 10 | DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION | 89 | $113,177 | 13.8 yrs |
| 11 | DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE | 87 | $88,991 | 14.6 yrs |
| 12 | SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION | 80 | $93,502 | 14.8 yrs |
| 13 | DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY | 80 | $107,556 | 13.4 yrs |
| 14 | DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE | 79 | $58,718 | 8.1 yrs |
| 15 | FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION | 38 | $138,876 | 12 yrs |
| 16 | DEPARTMENT OF LABOR | 11 | $98,348 | 12.3 yrs |
Where South Dakota ranks nationally
South Dakota's 9,174 federal civilian employees are more than 14% of states (7 of 51). The highlighted bar marks where South Dakota sits in the national distribution of federal employment.
Federal employment distribution across all 51 states; South Dakota ranks higher than 14%.
Similar States by Federal Employment
States with a similar federal workforce size to South Dakota
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Data Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) FedScope Employment Cubes, March 2025. Federal civilian non-seasonal full-time and part-time employees. Data does not include military personnel, postal workers, or intelligence agency staff. Last updated: 2026-03-10.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data currency: Federal workforce figures from OPM FedScope as of the March 2025 snapshot, with current openings from USAJOBS; compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
PlainGovJobs is rendered directly from OPM FedScope federal-workforce data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on OPM FedScope state-level employment records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.