Service and agriculture-related industries are the principal creators of jobs in South Dakota. These include retail, healthcare, finance, meatpacking and food processing. The retail sector is particularly important for Sioux Falls, the largest city in SD; it’s the largest retail center between Denver and Minneapolis-Saint Paul. It’s also a primary health center for the region. Ranching and mining are major resource-based industries for the state. Ellsworth Air Force Base, located northeast of Rapid City, is the second-largest single provider of South Dakota jobs.

Tourism is one of the largest sources of SD jobs and revenue. In addition to shopping and medical-based tourism, South Dakota attracts visitors through casino gambling, the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Mt. Rushmore and its national parks and historic sites. South Dakota’s business-friendly economic climate and lack of corporate income tax have made it appealing to financial companies. Citigroup, Wells Fargo and HSBC are some of the biggest single providers of jobs in Sioux Falls. Judging solely by bumper stickers and billboards, Wall Drug is the number one creator of South Dakota careers in the retail trade. That’s not so, of course, but the iconic shopping mall is one of the best-known tourist attractions in the northern U.S.