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Nurse practitioners working in the Mount Rushmore State face an uphill battle when it comes to earning a fair wage. Currently averaging $115,610 (Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2022) per year, South Dakota is home to some of the lowest-paid nurse practitioners in the nation. Luckily, there are ways to climb the ladder in the state and increase your salary by nearly $30,000. Let’s take a look.
South Dakota Nurse Practitioner Salaries – Visualized
Nurse Practitioners Salaries in urban areas of South Dakota
| Metro Area | # Employed | Mean Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid City, SD | 170 | $110,110 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | 390 | $115,720 | Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2022 |
Nurse Practitioners Salaries in rural areas of South Dakota
| Metro Area | # Employed | Mean Salary |
|---|---|---|
| East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 140 | $112,220 |
| West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 90 | $125,010 | Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2022 |
Increase Your Nurse Practitioner Salary in South Dakota
Stay in the Loop with SD Nursing News
As a licensed nurse practitioner of South Dakota, you’ll receive a complimentary copy of the professional journal called South Dakota Nursing News. This is compiled and distributed quarterly by the South Dakota board of nursing. Inside the publication are many opportunities to advance your career and increase your income. Some of the topics include:
- Clinical practice board recommendations
- Changes to program approvals
- Legislative updates
- License disciplinary information
- Job advertisements
Staying in the loop within your field can help you increase your salary by directing your attention to the relevant areas. You’ll see which jobs are in high demand, find real job opportunities, and find other opportunities for certifications and continued education. At the same time, if there are major legislative changes, you’ll be among the first to know and prepare to react.
Band together with Colleagues
Along the same lines as staying informed, maintaining connections with like-minded professionals in your career path can help you increase your salary as a nurse practitioner. The Nurse Practitioner Association of South Dakota can be a great resource for networking, events, and job opportunities. They currently have a job board that is connected nationally and carries relevant listings for nurse practitioner needs.
On top of networking, you can also join advocacy teams to help fight for FPA (full practice authority) status within South Dakota. This is the long-haul route to increasing your NP salary in the state, but the long-term payoff is exponential.
Relocate to a Bordering FPA State
If you can’t find opportunities to advance your career inside the Mount Rushmore State, moving east or west across state lines can drastically increase your earnings. Both Wyoming and Minnesota earn around $15,000 higher annual salaries than South Dakota for nurse practitioners. One factor that may contribute to the higher pay is that both of these states have achieved FPA status.
Broaden Your Experience
If you’re not quite ready to move out of South Dakota, you might consider a temporary gain of experience in other career pathways to broaden your expertise. For example, working as a nurse administrator can add diversity of duties, facility types, and resilience. This makes you more marketable when the future dream position does become available at the pay rate you want.
Finally, you could increase your salary in South Dakota by picking up extra gig work. This might look like telehealth visits or home assessments. Either of those options is flexible with hours and can add additional cash in your pocket on an as-needed basis.
Final Thoughts
Working as a well-paid nurse practitioner in South Dakota may be challenging at first, but if you take advantage of the right resources and relationships, you can increase your salary above the national average.