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State files updated Oct 29, 2026
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Two workers in hard hats fitting a rectangular duct between floor framing, seen from above

Home / HVAC Technicians / South Dakota

How to become an HVAC technician in South Dakota

South Dakota does not license individual HVAC technicians. You learn on the job or in school. There is no state HVAC contractor license; cities and counties set their own rules.

4registered apprenticeship programs$29.51median an hour in South Dakota

How do you start as an HVAC technician in South Dakota?

There are three ways in: a registered apprenticeship (4 programs in South Dakota), trade school (3 schools with HVAC technician programs), or a helper or trainee job with a licensed HVAC 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
4 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
3 schools with programs
Compare 3 schools
Helper

Start on a crew

Get hired as a helper by a licensed HVAC 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 an HVAC technician in South Dakota?

No. South Dakota does not license individual HVAC technicians.

  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. Run your own shop

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

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

$61,390

a year is the median for HVAC technicians in South Dakota ($29.51 an hour, May 2025).2

Pay by city and percentile
  1. Sioux Falls$30.02
  2. Rapid City$29.53
South Dakota median $29.51 an hour

More questions about becoming an HVAC technician in South Dakota

Do you need a license to work on your own as an HVAC technician in South Dakota?

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

Are HVAC technicians in demand in South Dakota?

Projections Central expects about 120 HVAC technician openings a year in South Dakota through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.1

Next step

Find an apprenticeship near you

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

Find a program

More for HVAC technicians 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)