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Home / Electricians / South Dakota
How to become an electrician in South Dakota
8,000 hours of supervised work, then the state exam.2 South Dakota licenses electricians through the South Dakota Electrical Commission.1
Pick your way in
Every route ends at the same place: 8,000 logged hours and the state exam.
Earn while you learn
A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.
- Pay
- From day one
- In SD
- 17 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In SD
- 5 schools with programs
Start on a crew
Get hired as a helper by a licensed electrical contractor and log hours on the job.
- Pay
- Paid on the job
- Start
- No experience needed
The license steps
Journeyman license from the South Dakota Electrical Commission.
Start as an apprentice or trainee
Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.
- Issued by
- South Dakota Electrical Commission
Log 8,000 hours8,000 hrs
About 4 years of full-time work under a licensed electrician. Keep your own log of hours and pay stubs.
- Issued by
- Your employer signs off
- Time
- 8,000 hrs
Pass the journeyman exam$100 application + $150 exam
Apply to the South Dakota Electrical Commission with your hours, then book the exam with ICC.
- Issued by
- South Dakota Electrical Commission
- Cost
- $100 application + $150 exam
Keep it currentEvery 2 years
Renew every 2 years. 16 hours per renewal cycle, at least 8 on the NEC; max 8 hours online
- Issued by
- South Dakota Electrical Commission
- Time
- Every 2 years
Run your own shop
At least two years as a journeyman electrician (4,000 hours under a contractor, including at least 2,000 commercial hours), or one year of commercial experience as a Class B electrician, before you apply for an electrical contractor license.
- Issued by
- SD DLR - Electrical Commission
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the South Dakota journeyman license.
$61,390
a year is the median for electricians in South Dakota ($29.51 an hour, May 2025).6
Pay by city and percentile- Sioux Falls$29.55
- Rapid City$29.40
Questions
How long does it take to become an electrician in South Dakota?
About 4 years of full-time work: the journeyman license requires 8,000 hours of supervised experience.2
How much does an electrician license cost in South Dakota?
State fees to get licensed: $250, not counting school or tools.3
Do you need a license to work on your own as an electrician in South Dakota?
Yes. South Dakota licenses electrical contractors through the SD DLR.4
Are electricians in demand in South Dakota?
Projections Central expects about 330 electrician openings a year in South Dakota through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.5
Find an apprenticeship near you
17 registered programs in South Dakota. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for electricians in South Dakota
Sources
- South Dakota Electrical Commission (dlr.sd.gov, 2026-10-27)
- South Dakota Electrical Commission: experience requirements (dlr.sd.gov, 2026-10-27)
- South Dakota Electrical Commission: fees (sdlegislature.gov)
- SD DLR - Electrical Commission contractor licensing (dlr.sd.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, South Dakota, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)