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Home / General Contractors / South Dakota

How to become a general contractor in South Dakota

Most general contractors in South Dakota start in an apprenticeship or a helper job and learn on the job. South Dakota has no state general contractor license; check the city or county where you work.

11registered apprenticeship programs$37.35median an hour in South Dakota

How do you start as a general contractor in South Dakota?

There are three ways in: a registered apprenticeship (11 programs in South Dakota), trade school (5 schools with general contractor programs), or a helper or trainee job with a licensed general contractor.

Apprenticeship

Earn while you learn

A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.

Pay
From day one
In SD
11 registered programs
Find a program near you
Trade school

Classroom first

Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.

Pay
You pay tuition
In SD
5 schools with programs
Compare 5 schools
Helper

Start on a crew

Get hired as a helper by a licensed general contractor and log hours on the job.

Pay
Paid on the job
Start
No experience needed
How to get started

Do you need a license to work as a general contractor in South Dakota?

Most general contractors in South Dakota learn on the job; a contractor license comes later, if you run your own business.

  1. Get hired or start training

    Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.

    Compare the ways in
  2. Work as a general contractor

    Median pay in South Dakota is $37.35 an hour.

    General Contractor pay in South Dakota
  3. Run your own shop

    South Dakota has no state general contractor license. Check with the city or county where you work about local licenses for general contractors.

    Issued by
    City or county
    Licensing in South Dakota
Pay once you're working

$77,690

a year is the median for general contractors in South Dakota ($37.35 an hour, May 2025).2

Pay by city and percentile
  1. Sioux Falls$37.95
  2. Rapid City$37.45
South Dakota median $37.35 an hour

More questions about becoming a general contractor in South Dakota

Do you need a license to work on your own as a general contractor in South Dakota?

South Dakota has no state general contractor license; check with your city or county.

Are general contractors in demand in South Dakota?

Projections Central expects about 230 general contractor openings a year in South Dakota through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.1

Next step

Find an apprenticeship near you

11 registered programs in South Dakota. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.

Find a program

More for general contractors in South Dakota

Sources

  1. Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
  2. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, South Dakota, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)