Data · South Dakota × Engineering

Women in Engineering in South Dakota

How women in engineering fare in South Dakota — state-adjusted pay gap, state ranking, and the national context that frames the local picture.

78.8%
South Dakota overall earnings ratio (women/men)
Census ACS S2001
#40
of 51 jurisdictions for pay equity
Derived from ACS state ratios
21.2%
Unadjusted pay gap in South Dakota
Census ACS
27.6%
Women in South Dakota’s legislature

The state-adjusted picture

Women in engineering nationally face the same structural conditions as women in every other field — but the overall wage environment in South Dakota modifies the baseline by -6.0% relative to the US average. A state where the overall pay gap is narrower tends to reflect narrower gaps within fields too, though field-specific dynamics dominate for specialized professions.

South Dakota has never elected a woman US Senator.

National context

Engineering remains the most male-dominated STEM field. Women earn 24% of engineering degrees and hold 16% of engineering jobs. This page tracks the numbers by specialty, pay, and where the pipeline leaks hardest.

Full national data Women in Engineering: Numbers, Pay, and Trends (2026)

National headline stats (engineering)

16.3%
Women among US working engineers (BLS 2024)
BLS CPS 2024 · 2024
24.0%
Women earning engineering bachelor's degrees (2023)
$13K
Median annual pay gap — female vs male mechanical engineers
40%
Women engineers who leave the profession within 5 years (vs 24% for men)

Other fields in South Dakota

Engineering in other states

Related pages

Frequently asked

What is the pay gap for women in engineering in South Dakota?

South Dakota’s overall pay ratio is 78.8% — a 21.2% gap. The gap within engineering follows the national pattern modified by South Dakota’s overall wage environment. See the full national field data for in-field specifics.

How does South Dakota rank on pay equity?

South Dakota ranks #40 of 51 US jurisdictions on pay equity, per Census ACS state ratios.

How are women represented in South Dakota politics?

27.6% of South Dakota state legislators are women (CAWP 2024). 1 women from South Dakota serve in the 119th US Congress.

Where does the national engineering data come from?

BLS Labor Force Statistics; NSF NCSES Women, Minorities, Persons with Disabilities in S&E; Society of Women Engineers Research