See which occupations donate the most in South Dakota. 33 occupations, $495K in donations from South Dakota.
The occupational breakdown of political donors in South Dakota reflects the state's economic makeup. This ranking shows which professions contribute the most to federal campaigns from within South Dakota, with both state-level and national totals provided for comparison. The mix of top occupations can differ substantially from one state to another based on local industries and workforce composition.
| # | Occupation | South Dakota Total | National Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BROKER | $97K | $4.3M |
| 2 | AGENT | $75K | $3.5M |
| 3 | CNA | $50K | $213K |
| 4 | OWNER/PRESIDENT | $27K | $636K |
| 5 | SOFTWARE EXECUTIVE | $22K | $2.2M |
| 6 | MGMT | $20K | $386K |
| 7 | COMMUNITY BANKER | $18K | $314K |
| 8 | POSTMASTER | $14K | $197K |
| 9 | SMALL BUSINESS | $14K | $320K |
| 10 | HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATOR | $13K | $322K |
| 11 | FARMER/RANCHER | $13K | $252K |
| 12 | WORKER | $12K | $269K |
| 13 | PORK PRODUCER | $10K | $157K |
| 14 | LIBRARY DIRECTOR | $9K | $79K |
| 15 | SENIOR MANAGEMENT | $9K | $404K |
| 16 | PRESIDENT/GENERAL MANAGER | $8K | $100K |
| 17 | LAND DEVELOPMENT | $8K | $263K |
| 18 | RELATIONSHIP MANAGER | $7K | $81K |
| 19 | CONCRETE CONTRACTOR | $6K | $57K |
| 20 | GENERAL MANAGER/CEO | $6K | $59K |
| 21 | STATE DIRECTOR | $6K | $157K |
| 22 | BUISNESS OWNER | $6K | $234K |
| 23 | LEGAL SECRETARY | $5K | $178K |
| 24 | GROCERY MANAGER | $5K | $151K |
| 25 | DVM | $5K | $97K |
| 26 | NURSE EDUCATOR | $5K | $73K |
| 27 | DISTRICT STORE DIRECTOR | $5K | $76K |
| 28 | CORPORATE SECRETARY | $5K | $167K |
| 29 | AG | $4K | $277K |
| 30 | GENETIC COUNSELOR | $4K | $102K |
| 31 | CEO/GENERAL MANAGER | $3K | $63K |
| 32 | HOTEL MANAGEMENT | $3K | $254K |
| 33 | DAIRYMAN | $2K | $77K |
The top political donors by occupation in South Dakota typically include retirees, attorneys, executives, and physicians. Across 33 tracked occupations, South Dakota residents have contributed $495K to federal campaigns.
Each state's occupational giving profile reflects its local economy. States with major financial centers see more banker and investor donations, while states with large university systems see more professor and researcher contributions. Compare the South Dakota and National Total columns to spot these differences.
Donors self-report their occupation on FEC contribution forms. We normalize common variations (e.g., "ATTORNEY" and "LAWYER" are combined) to produce cleaner rankings, though some inconsistency remains due to the self-reported nature of the data.