Eastern South Dakota WG Pay Scale 2026 (Wage Area 121)
In the Eastern South Dakota wage area, a WG-10 earns $27.06 at step 1, $28.17 at step 2 and $31.58 at step 5 under schedule 121 (Rest of United States), effective December 14, 2025. Step 2 is about $58,791 a year at 2,087 hours, an estimate.
Below are the WG, WL and WS hourly rates for every grade and step and the counties covered. See WG pay scale 2026 for every wage area.
Maintained by Archie Chang · DCPAS schedules checked October 31, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Eastern South Dakota WG, WL and WS rates, schedule 121
Issued December 23, 2025, effective December 14, 2025, superseding the schedule issued January 2, 2025. GS locality: Rest of United States (RUS). For General Schedule pay in the same locality, see Rest of U.S. GS pay scale 2026.
WG: nonsupervisory grades 1 to 15
| WG (nonsupervisory) grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WG-1 | $13.72$28,634 | $14.28$29,802 | $14.82$30,929 | $15.43$32,202 | $15.99$33,371 |
| WG-2 | $15.22$31,764 | $15.84$33,058 | $16.46$34,352 | $17.13$35,750 | $17.75$37,044 |
| WG-3 | $16.80$35,062 | $17.51$36,543 | $18.23$38,046 | $18.90$39,444 | $19.58$40,863 |
| WG-4 | $18.31$38,213 | $19.06$39,778 | $19.81$41,343 | $20.58$42,950 | $21.33$44,516 |
| WG-5 | $19.69$41,093 | $20.53$42,846 | $21.36$44,578 | $22.17$46,269 | $23.00$48,001 |
| WG-6 | $21.10$44,036 | $22.00$45,914 | $22.88$47,751 | $23.76$49,587 | $24.65$51,445 |
| WG-7 | $22.59$47,145 | $23.50$49,045 | $24.46$51,048 | $25.40$53,010 | $26.36$55,013 |
| WG-8 | $24.06$50,213 | $25.06$52,300 | $26.06$54,387 | $27.08$56,516 | $28.07$58,582 |
| WG-9 | $25.59$53,406 | $26.63$55,577 | $27.67$57,747 | $28.77$60,043 | $29.86$62,318 |
| WG-10 | $27.06$56,474 | $28.17$58,791 | $29.33$61,212 | $30.45$63,549 | $31.58$65,907 |
| WG-11 | $28.49$59,459 | $29.68$61,942 | $30.86$64,405 | $32.06$66,909 | $33.24$69,372 |
| WG-12 | $29.91$62,422 | $31.16$65,031 | $32.40$67,619 | $33.60$70,123 | $34.87$72,774 |
| WG-13 | $31.29$65,302 | $32.60$68,036 | $33.94$70,833 | $35.21$73,483 | $36.54$76,259 |
| WG-14 | $32.62$68,078 | $33.98$70,916 | $35.40$73,880 | $36.76$76,718 | $38.10$79,515 |
| WG-15 | $33.86$70,666 | $35.28$73,629 | $36.66$76,509 | $38.11$79,536 | $39.56$82,562 |
WL: leader grades 1 to 15
| WL (leader) grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WL-1 | $15.08$31,472 | $15.71$32,787 | $16.32$34,060 | $16.94$35,354 | $17.58$36,689 |
| WL-2 | $16.75$34,957 | $17.43$36,376 | $18.11$37,796 | $18.83$39,298 | $19.52$40,738 |
| WL-3 | $18.47$38,547 | $19.28$40,237 | $20.01$41,761 | $20.77$43,347 | $21.57$45,017 |
| WL-4 | $20.10$41,949 | $20.95$43,723 | $21.83$45,559 | $22.63$47,229 | $23.47$48,982 |
| WL-5 | $21.68$45,246 | $22.60$47,166 | $23.49$49,024 | $24.39$50,902 | $25.28$52,759 |
| WL-6 | $23.27$48,564 | $24.26$50,631 | $25.20$52,592 | $26.13$54,533 | $27.12$56,599 |
| WL-7 | $24.84$51,841 | $25.85$53,949 | $26.89$56,119 | $27.94$58,311 | $28.97$60,460 |
| WL-8 | $26.46$55,222 | $27.57$57,539 | $28.69$59,876 | $29.76$62,109 | $30.88$64,447 |
| WL-9 | $28.11$58,666 | $29.28$61,107 | $30.47$63,591 | $31.64$66,033 | $32.83$68,516 |
| WL-10 | $29.76$62,109 | $31.02$64,739 | $32.28$67,368 | $33.53$69,977 | $34.75$72,523 |
| WL-11 | $31.34$65,407 | $32.65$68,141 | $33.95$70,854 | $35.24$73,546 | $36.59$76,363 |
| WL-12 | $32.88$68,621 | $34.23$71,438 | $35.62$74,339 | $37.00$77,219 | $38.36$80,057 |
| WL-13 | $34.46$71,918 | $35.91$74,944 | $37.33$77,908 | $38.76$80,892 | $40.22$83,939 |
| WL-14 | $35.93$74,986 | $37.41$78,075 | $38.93$81,247 | $40.40$84,315 | $41.97$87,591 |
| WL-15 | $37.23$77,699 | $38.83$81,038 | $40.35$84,210 | $41.97$87,591 | $43.51$90,805 |
WS: supervisory grades 1 to 19
| WS (supervisory) grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WS-1 | $22.00$45,914 | $22.93$47,855 | $23.86$49,796 | $24.77$51,695 | $25.68$53,594 |
| WS-2 | $23.49$49,024 | $24.47$51,069 | $25.44$53,093 | $26.43$55,159 | $27.42$57,226 |
| WS-3 | $24.90$51,966 | $25.95$54,158 | $26.97$56,286 | $28.05$58,540 | $29.08$60,690 |
| WS-4 | $26.37$55,034 | $27.47$57,330 | $28.54$59,563 | $29.64$61,859 | $30.73$64,134 |
| WS-5 | $27.70$57,810 | $28.92$60,356 | $30.06$62,735 | $31.22$65,156 | $32.41$67,640 |
| WS-6 | $29.16$60,857 | $30.41$63,466 | $31.63$66,012 | $32.85$68,558 | $34.06$71,083 |
| WS-7 | $30.68$64,029 | $31.97$66,721 | $33.24$69,372 | $34.53$72,064 | $35.80$74,715 |
| WS-8 | $32.18$67,160 | $33.54$69,998 | $34.87$72,774 | $36.18$75,508 | $37.57$78,409 |
| WS-9 | $33.70$70,332 | $35.12$73,295 | $36.52$76,217 | $37.92$79,139 | $39.30$82,019 |
| WS-10 | $35.19$73,442 | $36.66$76,509 | $38.13$79,577 | $39.59$82,624 | $41.03$85,630 |
| WS-11 | $36.20$75,549 | $37.76$78,805 | $39.27$81,956 | $40.77$85,087 | $42.24$88,155 |
| WS-12 | $37.62$78,513 | $39.19$81,790 | $40.76$85,066 | $42.29$88,259 | $43.85$91,515 |
| WS-13 | $39.22$81,852 | $40.85$85,254 | $42.50$88,698 | $44.10$92,037 | $45.74$95,459 |
| WS-14 | $41.10$85,776 | $42.82$89,365 | $44.54$92,955 | $46.25$96,524 | $47.94$100,051 |
| WS-15 | $43.47$90,722 | $45.27$94,478 | $47.07$98,235 | $48.93$102,117 | $50.69$105,790 |
| WS-16 | $45.95$95,898 | $47.87$99,905 | $49.77$103,870 | $51.74$107,981 | $53.62$111,905 |
| WS-17 | $48.18$100,552 | $50.20$104,767 | $52.19$108,921 | $54.20$113,115 | $56.21$117,310 |
| WS-18 | $51.10$106,646 | $53.21$111,049 | $55.31$115,432 | $57.48$119,961 | $59.59$124,364 |
| WS-19 | $52.20$108,941 | $54.37$113,470 | $56.54$117,999 | $58.72$122,549 | $60.89$127,077 |
Counties covered by schedule 121
Dickinson County, IA; Emmet County, IA; Lyon County, IA; Osceola County, IA; Jackson County, MN; Lincoln County, MN; Lyon County, MN; Murray County, MN; Nobles County, MN; Pipestone County, MN; Rock County, MN; Aurora County, SD; Beadle County, SD; Bennett County, SD; Bon Homme County, SD; Brookings County, SD; Brown County, SD; Brule County, SD; Buffalo County, SD; Campbell County, SD; Charles Mix County, SD; Clark County, SD; Clay County, SD; Codington County, SD; Corson County, SD; Davison County, SD; Day County, SD; Deuel County, SD; Dewey County, SD; Douglas County, SD; Edmunds County, SD; Faulk County, SD; Grant County, SD; Gregory County, SD; Haakon County, SD; Hamlin County, SD; Hand County, SD; Hanson County, SD; Hughes County, SD; Hutchinson County, SD; Hyde County, SD; Jerauld County, SD; Jones County, SD; Kingsbury County, SD; Lake County, SD; Lincoln County, SD; Lyman County, SD; Marshall County, SD; McCook County, SD; McPherson County, SD; Mellette County, SD; Miner County, SD; Minnehaha County, SD; Moody County, SD; Potter County, SD; Roberts County, SD; Sanborn County, SD; Spink County, SD; Stanley County, SD; Sully County, SD; Todd County, SD; Tripp County, SD; Turner County, SD; Walworth County, SD; Yankton County, SD; Ziebach County, SD
Other wage areas in Iowa and Minnesota and South Dakota
- Cedar Rapids-Iowa City, IA WG-10 step 2 $32.99
- Davenport-Moline, IA WG-10 step 2 $33.42
- Des Moines, IA WG-10 step 2 $31.30
- Omaha, NE WG-10 step 2 $28.52
- Duluth, MN WG-10 step 2 $34.33
- Minneapolis-St Paul, MN WG-10 step 2 $35.69
- North Dakota WG-10 step 2 $32.59
- Southwestern Wisconsin WG-10 step 2 $30.22
- Wyoming WG-10 step 2 $31.36
Eastern South Dakota WG pay questions
What is the WG-10 rate in Eastern South Dakota?
Under schedule 121 (Rest of United States), WG-10 is $27.06 at step 1, $28.17 at step 2 and $31.58 at step 5. At 2,087 hours a year, step 2 is about $58,791, an estimate.
When did the Eastern South Dakota wage schedule take effect?
DCPAS issued schedule 121 on December 23, 2025 with an effective date of December 14, 2025. It replaced the schedule issued January 2, 2025. New schedules follow each local wage survey, so check DCPAS for a newer one.
Are these the rates paid in Eastern South Dakota?
These are the regular schedule rates. DCPAS marks schedule 121 as impacted by OPM CPM 2022-02 (the $15 per hour minimum pay rate for federal employees) and points to special rate schedule M121 for the payable rates. The rates shown are the regular schedule. Find the special schedules on the DCPAS site under "Special".
Which counties does the Eastern South Dakota wage area cover?
DCPAS lists 66 counties or areas for schedule 121; the full list is on this page. OPM's final rule on wage area criteria took effect on October 1, 2025, and DCPAS says it affects approximately 230 counties, so check the list if your county may have moved.
Sources (checked October 31, 2026): DCPAS Wage and Salary Division, appropriated fund wage schedules · 5 CFR 532.203, structure of regular wage schedules (eCFR) · 5 CFR 532.201, definitions (eCFR) · 5 CFR 532.211, criteria for appropriated fund wage areas (eCFR) · 5 CFR 532.417, within-grade increases (eCFR) · 5 U.S.C. 5343, prevailing rate determinations · 5 U.S.C. 5342, definitions · 5 U.S.C. 5504, biweekly pay periods; computation of pay · Federal Register, January 21, 2025 (90 FR 7428), final rule on wage area criteria · OPM, Facts About the Federal Wage System · OPM CPM 2025-20, Fiscal Year 2026 Prevailing Rate Pay Adjustments · OPM CPM 2026-05, Update to Fiscal Year 2026 Prevailing Rate Pay Adjustments · House Document 119-189, Alternative Plan for Pay Adjustments (January 2027)