Home / HVAC Technicians / South Dakota / Apprenticeships

HVAC Technician apprenticeships in South Dakota

Apprenticeship.gov lists no union, association or school HVAC technician apprenticeship programs in South Dakota, and 4 companies with their own registered apprenticeship.¹ Programs in a neighboring state, a trade school, or a helper job with a licensed contractor are the other ways in.

Companies with their own registered apprenticeship

You apply to these companies for a job. Their program covers your training and wage steps.

Companies

Name or city

County

4 companies

Haar Plumbing & HeatingAberdeen
Hander Plumbing & Heating, INC.Sioux Falls
Kaiser Heating and CoolingYankton
Paulson Sheet Metal, IncMitchell

Union locals and training centers in South Dakota

Call the local or its training center for the next application date.

SMART union locals

No SMART local has its office in South Dakota. Search the SMART local union directory.

Sheet metal training centers

South Dakota Areawide JATC318 Charles Street, Mitchell(605) 770-2927

PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)

PHCC of South Dakota707 East 41st Street #220, Sioux Falls(605) 271-7255

ACCA member contractors near you

Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in South Dakota.

Union or open shop?

Union

Run by a joint committee of the SMART sheet metal local or the UA pipefitters local and union contractors. You apply to the committee, take an aptitude test and an interview, and wait on a ranked list. The committee sends you to its contractors.

Pay is a set share of the union journey-level rate and steps up on a schedule. Classes are nights or week-long blocks, usually paid for by the program.

Open shop

Run by ACCA or PHCC chapters, ABC or a single HVAC contractor. You usually get hired by a member contractor first, and the contractor enrolls you.

Your employer sets the pay and the raises. Classes are nights or weekends, and some programs charge tuition.

What do programs ask for?

Age
Usually 18. Some programs take applications at 17.
High school diploma or GED
Most programs ask for one. Bring a transcript.
Algebra
Electrical and sheet metal programs usually want one year of high school algebra with a passing grade.
Aptitude test or interview
Union programs give an aptitude test (math and reading) and an interview, then rank applicants. Open-shop programs usually start with a job offer.
Driver's license and drug screen
Many programs ask for both, since apprentices drive between job sites.

Applying this month

Get your papers together1 week
High school transcript or GED, a photo ID, and your birth certificate or proof of age. Programs that ask for algebra want the transcript that shows it.
Time
1 week
Practice for the aptitude test2 to 4 weeks
Union programs test algebra and reading. A few evenings with a practice test helps your ranking.
Time
2 to 4 weeks
Pick three programs and check their dates1 evening
Union programs take applications in set windows, some once a year. Open-shop programs and employer programs often take them year-round.
Time
1 evening
Back to the program list
Apply, then keep working
Apply to all three. While you wait, a helper or trainee job with a licensed contractor gives you hours and a reference.
The license steps

Can't get in yet?

Pre-apprenticeship

Short programs, often free, that teach the basics and help with the application. Ask the programs above which ones they take graduates from.

Start on a crew

Licensed contractors hire helpers with no experience. Keep a log of your hours and employers; many programs and license boards count them. If you'd rather learn the basics first, 3 schools in South Dakota have HVAC technician programs.

The license steps in South Dakota

How do you get into an HVAC technician apprenticeship in South Dakota?

Pick programs near you, check each one's website for its application dates, and apply to more than one. Union programs test and interview, then rank applicants; open-shop programs usually start once a member contractor hires you.

How much do HVAC technician apprentices make in South Dakota?

Programs set their own scales, usually a share of journey-level pay that rises every year. For a floor, the lowest-paid tenth of all HVAC technicians in South Dakota earned $23.28 an hour or less in May 2025.

HVAC Technician pay in South Dakota

Other routes in South Dakota

Sources

U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, South Dakota, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)