What Goes on a South Dakota Pay Stub
A South Dakota pay stub is short by design. The only tax lines are federal: federal income tax from the W-4, Social Security at 6.2 percent up to the $184,500 wage base, and Medicare at 1.45 percent. No state line appears because South Dakota does not tax wage income.
What varies stub to stub are the benefit deductions: health premiums, dental and vision, 401(k) contributions, and any voluntary deductions. A nurse in Sioux Falls and a technician in Rapid City see the same tax structure, and net pay runs higher than an identical salary would net in almost any taxing state.
South Dakota Withholding Rules: Forms and Allowances
There is no South Dakota withholding form because there is no wage tax to withhold. New hires complete the federal W-4 only, and employers have no state tables to maintain or update. That has been the arrangement for decades and nothing about 2026 changes it.
South Dakota funds government through sales and property taxes rather than income tax. For pay stub purposes that means the document is mostly federal taxes plus benefits, which keeps both generation and verification simple.
Payday and Final Paycheck Rules in South Dakota
South Dakota requires employers to pay workers at least monthly on regular paydays. Most employers pay biweekly or semimonthly, well inside that minimum, from Aberdeen to Pierre.
Final wages are due by the next regular payday, and South Dakota allows employers to hold the final check until company property is returned. A departing worker should still receive an accounting of gross pay and every deduction from that last period.
Are Itemized Pay Stubs Required in South Dakota?
No, and that is what makes South Dakota unusual. It is one of nine states with no law requiring employers to provide pay stubs at all. Most employers hand them out anyway because workers need them for apartments, car loans, and tax records, but the law does not compel it. When no stub arrives, generating your own accurate record with the tool above fills the gap.
Example: A $58,000 Pay Stub in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Take a single filer in Sioux Falls earning $58,000 a year, paid biweekly. With no state tax and no required stub format, a clean record looks like this:
| Item | Annual Amount |
| Gross Pay | $58,000.00 |
| Federal Income Tax (approx) | ~$4,790.00 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | $3,596.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | $841.00 |
| South Dakota income tax | $0.00 |
| Net Annual Pay | ~$48,773.00 |
That is about $1,875.88 of net pay per biweekly check. Because South Dakota employers are not legally required to hand you a stub, generating your own creates the paper trail landlords and lenders ask for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does South Dakota have a state income tax?
No. South Dakota does not tax individual wage income, so there is no state withholding and no state withholding form.
Are employers required to give pay stubs in South Dakota?
No. South Dakota is one of nine states with no pay stub requirement on the books. Most employers still provide them, but the law does not force it.
How often must South Dakota employers pay workers?
At least monthly, on regular paydays.
When is my final paycheck due in South Dakota?
By the next regular payday. Employers may hold the final check until company property is returned.
How can I get a pay stub if my employer does not provide one?
The generator above builds one from your gross pay, pay frequency, and deductions, giving you a professional record for rentals, loans, and tax files.
Related Tools
Create your stub with the free Pay Stub Generator and confirm the take-home figure with the South Dakota Paycheck Calculator. Compare with a Nebraska pay stub or a North Dakota pay stub to see the state-tax difference.
Sources: SD Department of Revenue, SD Department of Labor and Regulation. Figures reviewed for 2026. This generator provides an estimate for planning purposes and is not tax advice.