Average Salary in North Dakota
What workers in North Dakota earn: mean and median wages, monthly and hourly pay, the full wage distribution, household income and cost-of-living context. Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Mean annual wage$64,050Rank #31 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$52,480Rank #18 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$30.79Median $25.23/hour
- Median monthly pay$4,373Mean $5,338/month
- Median household income$77,871ACS 2024 · rank #26
- Price level (RPP)89.0US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in North Dakota?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in North Dakota is $64,050, and the median annual wage is $52,480, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 8.2% below the national mean of $69,770; the median is 2.9% above the national median of $50,980. North Dakota ranks #31 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #18 for median wage.
The mean is $11,570 (22%) higher than the median. That gap is normal: a minority of very high earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical worker in North Dakota earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 429,430 wage and salary jobs in North Dakota (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in North Dakota
Gross pay before taxes. Monthly = annual ÷ 12, bi-weekly = annual ÷ 26, weekly = annual ÷ 52. Hourly figures are published by BLS.
| Pay period | Mean (average) | Median (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | $64,050 | $52,480 |
| Monthly | $5,338 | $4,373 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $2,463 | $2,018 |
| Weekly | $1,232 | $1,009 |
| Hourly | $30.79 | $25.23 |
Estimate take-home pay on the North Dakota median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in North Dakota?
“Good” depends on your household and where in the state you live, but the wage distribution shows where a salary stands relative to other workers in North Dakota:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $31,330 | $2,611 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $38,600 | $3,217 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $52,480 | $4,373 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $75,810 | $6,318 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $103,160 | $8,597 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $52,480 beats more than half of North Dakota workers, about $75,810 puts you in the top quarter, and $103,160 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in North Dakota
| Measure (ACS 2024) | North Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,871 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $103,393 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $45,281 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $47,520 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $65,646 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $51,633 | $55,678 |
Household income adds up the income of everyone in a household — often two earners, plus Social Security, investment and self-employment income — so it is higher than any per-worker wage figure. Women working full-time year-round in North Dakota have median earnings equal to 79% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in North Dakota
Prices in North Dakota are about 11.0% below the national average (BEA regional price parity 89.0; housing 71.4). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $52,480 is worth $58,966 at national-average prices (rank #4), and the mean wage is worth $71,966 (rank #12). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
North Dakota taxes wage income, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures above by federal tax, FICA and state income tax.
North Dakota vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $64,050 | $52,480 | 89.0 | $58,966 |
| Minnesota | $71,160 | $56,920 | 98.6 | $57,728 |
| Montana | $60,880 | $48,740 | 94.6 | $51,522 |
| South Dakota | $57,610 | $47,080 | 88.6 | $53,138 |
Highest-paying occupations in North Dakota
Detailed occupations with at least 300 jobs in the state, ranked by mean annual wage. “$239,200+” means BLS reports only that the wage is at or above that level.
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $406,630 | $454,550 | 740 |
| Chief Executives | $225,920 | $164,560 | 380 |
| Commercial Pilots | $157,900 | $133,010 | 370 |
| Financial Managers | $153,130 | $135,890 | 2,140 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $146,840 | $149,130 | 850 |
| Pharmacists | $137,110 | $142,040 | 1,070 |
| Managers, All Other | $131,700 | $126,440 | 2,040 |
| Physician Assistants | $130,930 | $133,450 | 510 |
| Sales Managers | $128,800 | $119,990 | 550 |
| Lawyers | $128,680 | $106,880 | 1,050 |
Most common jobs in North Dakota and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 11,870 | $60,910 | $29.29 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 11,470 | $30,080 | $14.46 |
| Registered Nurses | 11,340 | $80,730 | $38.81 |
| Retail Salespersons | 11,320 | $36,040 | $17.33 |
| General and Operations Managers | 11,150 | $98,170 | $47.20 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 9,990 | $45,690 | $21.97 |
| Cashiers | 9,510 | $31,460 | $15.12 |
| Office Clerks, General | 8,440 | $50,160 | $24.11 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 7,730 | $39,440 | $18.96 |
| Nursing Assistants | 6,840 | $45,820 | $22.03 |
The largest occupation in North Dakota is heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, with 11,870 jobs and a median wage of $60,910. Many of the most common jobs pay well below the state median, which is one reason the overall median sits far below the mean.
Salaries for 54 common occupations in North Dakota
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in North Dakota?
The average (mean) annual wage in North Dakota is $64,050, or $30.79 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $52,480 a year ($25.23 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in North Dakota?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in North Dakota works out to about $5,338 per month and the median wage to about $4,373 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in North Dakota?
Earning more than the median of $52,480 puts you above half of all workers in North Dakota. A salary of $75,810 or more is in the top 25%, and $103,160 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in North Dakota?
Median household income in North Dakota was $77,871 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, compared with $81,604 nationally. Household income combines all earners and income sources in a home.
Does North Dakota have a state income tax on wages?
Yes. North Dakota taxes wage income, so state income tax is deducted from paychecks in addition to federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.