Firm counts, employment, and wages for 40 small-business-typical industries reported in South Dakota by the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. Click any industry for a national comparison.
Sorted by establishment count. Location quotient (LQ) compares South Dakota's industry concentration to the national average — LQ > 1 means denser than national; LQ < 1 means thinner.
| Industry | Firms | Employment | Avg Pay | LQ | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-service restaurants | 637 | 12,902 | $24,558 | 0.72 | -2.0% |
| Quick-service restaurants | 628 | 12,850 | $20,402 | 0.70 | +1.3% |
| Gas stations with convenience stores | 547 | 6,857 | $28,104 | 1.61 | +2.1% |
| Engineering services | 477 | 2,717 | $103,306 | 1.43 | +6.0% |
| Plumbing, heating & AC contractors | 456 | 4,437 | $66,856 | 1.12 | +0.7% |
| Offices of lawyers | 427 | 1,571 | $74,207 | 0.68 | -0.2% |
| Electrical contractors | 402 | 3,439 | $71,580 | 1.21 | +1.8% |
| General auto repair | 394 | 1,478 | $51,764 | 1.37 | +5.9% |
| Drinking places (bars) | 365 | 3,738 | $19,844 | 2.56 | +1.7% |
| Landscaping services | 363 | 1,898 | $42,852 | 0.88 | +3.1% |
| Janitorial services | 312 | 2,639 | $25,260 | 1.12 | -0.3% |
| Other accounting services | 309 | 965 | $59,131 | 1.29 | +10.0% |
| Dental practices | 308 | 3,269 | $73,490 | 0.68 | -1.0% |
| Portfolio management & investment advice | 268 | 726 | $113,998 | 0.91 | +4.7% |
| Chiropractors | 253 | 868 | $40,898 | 1.92 | +2.0% |
| Child day care | 251 | 3,664 | $23,285 | 0.95 | -1.6% |
| Other general-merchandise retailers | 208 | 0 | $0 | 0.97 | +3.5% |
| CPA offices | 199 | 1,250 | $75,682 | 0.94 | +1.5% |
| Auto body & paint | 194 | 904 | $58,189 | 1.64 | -2.5% |
| Supermarkets & grocery | 189 | 7,226 | $25,972 | 0.96 | -0.5% |
| Veterinary services | 154 | 1,250 | $49,764 | 1.29 | +0.0% |
| Physical therapists | 145 | 1,056 | $50,367 | 0.84 | +2.1% |
| Beauty salons | 136 | 805 | $33,793 | 0.52 | +4.6% |
| Roofing contractors | 122 | 659 | $71,189 | 1.16 | +6.1% |
| All other miscellaneous retailers | 108 | 459 | $48,684 | 0.97 | -3.6% |
| Optometrists | 106 | 830 | $53,609 | 1.48 | +1.9% |
| Fitness & recreational sports centers | 105 | 1,028 | $15,421 | 0.70 | +5.0% |
| Other health practitioners | 99 | 0 | $0 | 0.76 | +26.9% |
| Pet care (except veterinary) | 89 | 580 | $26,243 | 0.98 | +8.5% |
| Motor-vehicle parts wholesale | 60 | 624 | $66,795 | 1.21 | -6.2% |
| Florists | 54 | 0 | $0 | 1.33 | +5.9% |
| Religious organizations | 33 | 174 | $42,474 | 0.38 | -5.7% |
| Auto glass replacement | 32 | 102 | $43,271 | 1.34 | +10.3% |
| Other similar organizations | 24 | 100 | $40,368 | 0.47 | +0.0% |
| Drycleaning & laundry | 20 | 157 | $24,993 | 0.40 | -9.1% |
| All other auto repair & maintenance | 16 | 91 | $54,362 | 0.63 | -5.9% |
| Convenience retailers | 15 | 120 | $16,795 | 0.13 | -11.8% |
| Barber shops | 12 | 97 | $42,568 | 0.44 | +9.1% |
| Book retailers & news dealers | 10 | 0 | $0 | 0.38 | +11.1% |
| Parking lots & garages | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0.15 | -33.3% |