Rapid City, SD metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Rapid City, SD?

In the Rapid City, SD metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $29,440 a year ($14.15 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,860 of these jobs there. That is 36% below the $46,270 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,850 and $36,400; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and South Dakota tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,835 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Rapid City, SD at a glance

Median salary

$29,440$14.15 per hour · $2,453 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,850$13.39/hr
25th percentile$28,650$13.77/hr
75th percentile$30,820$14.82/hr
90th percentile$36,400$17.50/hr
Jobs in this metro2,860Location quotient 1.56 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here36% belowAll-jobs median $46,270
Against South Dakotaabout the same asStatewide median $29,490
Against the U.S.6% belowNational median $31,200

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Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Fast food or counter worker salary in Rapid City, SD after taxes

$29,440
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,440
Net 88%
Fed 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,835After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,153Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$994Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate12.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,353 / yr
South Dakota state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,252 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Rapid City, SD, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Rapid City, SD metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Rapid City, SD metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (SD)
10th percentile$13.39/hr$2,321$27,850$24,544
25th percentile$13.77/hr$2,388$28,650$25,200
MedianMedian$14.15/hr$2,453$29,440$25,835
75th percentile$14.82/hr$2,568$30,820$26,944
90th percentile$17.50/hr$3,033$36,400$31,427

Is $29,440 a good salary in Rapid City, SD?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for fast food or counter workers next to both.

Median household income$75,255Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.210.8% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household39.1%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Do fast food or counter workers pay tax on tips?

Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Fast food or counter worker pay in Rapid City, SD: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Rapid City, SD?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Rapid City, SD metro area was $29,440 in May 2025, about $2,453 a month or $14.15 an hour. Statewide, the South Dakota median for this job is $29,490, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Rapid City, SD?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Rapid City, SD was $14.15 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.39 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.50.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Rapid City, SD?

BLS estimated 2,860 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 38.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.56 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for fast food or counter workers in Rapid City, SD?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Rapid City, SD run from $27,850 at the 10th percentile to $28,650 at the 25th, $30,820 at the 75th, and $36,400 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do fast food or counter workers take home after taxes in Rapid City, SD?

On a median gross salary of $29,440, an estimated $25,835 lands in net take-home pay per year ($994 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in South Dakota in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,605 (an effective rate of 12.2%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Rapid City, SD?

On the median annual salary of $29,440, gross monthly income is $2,453. After federal, FICA, and South Dakota state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,153 per month (or $994 every two weeks).

Is $29,440 a good salary in Rapid City, SD?

At $29,440, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 39.1% of the Rapid City, SD median household income ($75,255). It is 36% below the $46,270 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.2, so prices here run 10.8% below the U.S. average.