Unpaid Wage Cases in South Dakota

Since 2005 the U.S. Department of Labor has found $7.8M in back wages owed to 16,815 South Dakota workers, in 993 cases, and assessed $2.2M in penalties. 208 cases involved child labor violations covering 524 minors.

$7.8MBack wages employers agreed to pay

16,815Workers owed back wages

993Cases with back wages

What workers weren't paid

Overtime not paid$4.9M (63%)

Other laws (farmworker, visa, leave and more)$1.7M (21%)

Prevailing wage on government contracts$620K (8%)

Below minimum wage$603K (8%)

Industries with the most back wages

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels$484K (6%)

Local Nursing Homes$456K (6%)

Full-Service Restaurants$453K (6%)

Apiculture$417K (5%)

All Other Specialty Trade Contractors$372K (5%)

Electric Power Distribution$318K (4%)

Employment Placement Agencies$240K (3%)

Limited-Service Restaurants$227K (3%)

Security Guards and Patrol Services$219K (3%)

Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers$176K (2%)

Cases with back wages by year

By city

City	Back wages	Workers	Cases
Sioux Falls	$1.8M	6,598	211
Rapid City	$1.5M	3,124	250
Sturgis	$243K	611	23
Aberdeen	$196K	344	27
Deadwood	$173K	344	27
Hill City	$169K	228	17
Huron	$168K	206	16
Pierre	$148K	111	13
Custer	$130K	151	12
Spearfish	$111K	461	33
Brookings	$89,196	253	19
Black Hawk	$82,499	96	13
Mitchell	$81,749	198	17
Yankton	$78,942	362	15
Brandon	$75,101	86	11
Watertown	$72,340	139	20
Keystone	$55,560	180	12
Belle Fourche	$45,933	86	13
Tea	$33,038	162	10
Piedmont	$23,677	98	10

Cities with at least 10 cases with back wages.

Labor lawyers in South Dakota

Lawbamba lists 11 labor lawyers with an office in South Dakota, the practice area that deals with the wage theft cases on this page. These 4 come first in that listing (how the order is set).

Jon C. Sogn

Lynn, Jackson, Shultz and Lebrun, P.C.

Labor, Business & Commercial, Personal Injury

Sioux Falls

Michael A. Hauck

Bangs, McCullen, Butler, Foye and Simmons, L.L.P.

Labor, Business & Commercial, Corporate

Sioux Falls

David C. Kroon

Woods, Fuller, Shultz and Smith P.C.

Labor, Business & Commercial, Employee Benefits

Sioux Falls

Charles Dorothy

Labor, Arbitration & Mediation, Business & Commercial

Sioux Falls

Matched by practice area and office location only. These lawyers are not connected to the records on this page and have not reviewed or endorsed it.

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Source: the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division enforcement data (every concluded compliance action since fiscal year 2005), from the DOL Open Data Portal, loaded November 9, 2026. “Back wages” is the amount employers agreed to pay workers after an investigation found they were underpaid; dates are the end of the period the investigation covered. Employer names and addresses are as DOL publishes them. Federal cases only: state labor departments and private lawsuits recover more that isn't counted here.

Lawbamba is not affiliated with the Department of Labor, and this page is general information, not legal advice.