The South Dakota Action Coalition is dedicated to transforming health care by working to achieve the higher levels of education needed to meet the state’s challenges. Their specific goal is to have 80 percent of South Dakota’s RNs prepared at the bachelor’s-level or higher by 2020. As of 2012, 51 percent of all RNs in South Dakota had a BSN degree or higher.
According to the South Dakota Board of Nursing’s 2013 Report of Nursing Education Programs, the state has 14 approved schools offering full and part-time nursing programs. Four schools offer an associate’s degree while seven offer a bachelor’s degree and eight have a RN-BSN completion program aimed at attracting working RNs who wish to advance their education. The report shows that 1,152 South Dakota students were enrolled in BSN programs in 2013 as compared to 1,036 in 2012, reflecting a 10 percent increase. Only 796 nursing students were enrolled in BSN programs in 2004, indicating the growing interest in these programs.
Salaries of BSN-Educated RNs in South Dakota
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that there were 11,540 actively employed RNs in South Dakota during 2013. Experienced BSN-educated nurses in South Dakota earned the following salaries that year.
- 75th Percentile Annual Salary – $61,530
- 90th Percentile Annual Salary – $71,860
- 75th Percentile Hourly Wage – $24,58
- 90th Percentile Hourly Wage – $34.55
A recent salary survey conducted by the Advance Healthcare Network for Nurses broke down the annual salaries of RNs throughout the entire Midwestern region of the US according to education level.
- ADNs – $55,863
- BSNs – $59,863
- MSNs – $77,090
- DSNs – $86,980
Salary Differences for BSN-Educated RNs in Various Cities and Regions
RNs can expect to earn somewhat different salaries depending upon region or city in which they work. The South Dakota Department of Labor’s 2013 salary survey reported the following hourly wages for BSN-educated RNs in South Dakota
The following is a full analysis of BSN salaries in various cities and regions of South Dakota as published by the US Department of Labor in 2013: