Jury Duty Pay in South Dakota

About Jury Duty in South Dakota

South Dakota pays jurors $50 per day — arguably the highest effective rate in the nation when adjusted for cost of living. A week of jury service ($250) goes significantly further in South Dakota than the same amount in Massachusetts or Colorado, where the cost of living can be double or more.

How Jury Pay Works

South Dakota uses a flat $50/day rate under S.D. Codified Laws § 16-13-14. Mileage reimbursement typically follows the federal GSA rate, which is critical for rural travel. South Dakota is a “one day or one trial” state. There is no employer mandate to pay wages. The $50/day rate matches Georgia, Colorado, and Arkansas at the top of the national range.

The Cost-of-Living Advantage

South Dakota’s juror compensation is uniquely generous when adjusted for the state’s economic context. South Dakota has no state income tax, among the lowest housing costs in the nation, and generally below-average consumer prices. The $50/day rate, which is a middle-class daily wage in many parts of the country, goes considerably further here.

The cost-of-living context makes South Dakota an outlier in the national jury pay landscape. Most high-pay states — Massachusetts, Colorado, Connecticut — are also high-cost states. South Dakota delivers top-tier compensation at bottom-tier costs. This is the inverse of states like Hawaii or California, where even decent rates are eroded by high living expenses.

Rural Travel Challenges

South Dakota’s 66 counties span 77,000 square miles with a population of roughly 900,000. West River counties (west of the Missouri River) are among the most sparsely populated jurisdictions in the country. A juror in Harding County (northwest corner, population ~1,300) might drive 60+ miles to the courthouse in Buffalo. The $50/day rate plus mileage makes this financially viable in a way that Montana’s $12/day does not.

How South Dakota Compares

South Dakota’s $50/day matches the highest state rates in the country. Neighboring North Dakota pays $25/day and Montana $12/day. The contrast is dramatic: the Dakotas are often mentioned together, but their juror pay rates differ by 2x. Federal jurors in South Dakota’s single district also receive $50/day — parity between state and federal rates, a rarity that South Dakota shares with only a few other states. For a state that prides itself on fiscal conservatism, the decision to pay jurors a top-tier rate is a notable and seemingly durable policy choice.

Statute: S.D. Codified Laws § 16-13-46 — Official source