What do the trades pay in South Dakota?
Median hourly pay, May 20251. Pick a trade for training, pay and the license.
Electrician
Wiring, panels and fixtures
$29.51/hrSouth Dakota median
Plumber
Water, drain and gas lines
$24.82/hrSouth Dakota median
HVAC tech
Heating, cooling and ductwork
$29.51/hrSouth Dakota median
Roofer
New roofs and repairs
$22.94/hrSouth Dakota median
General contractor
Runs the job and the crews
$37.35/hrSouth Dakota median, construction supervisors
Is there work in South Dakota?
Construction jobs in South Dakota, September 2026: 30,400, up 2.7% from a year earlier.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026New homes permitted in South Dakota, September 2026: 471, up 10.1% from a year earlier.
Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026People working in these five trades in South Dakota: 9,110.
BLS OEWS, May 2025Who licenses contractors in South Dakota?
South Dakota licenses electrical and plumbing contractors at the state level. General contractors, HVAC contractors and roofers need no state license.2
State board SD DLR
- ElectricalState license
- PlumbingState license
- HVACNo state license
- RoofingNo state license
- General contractorNo state license
Check a South Dakota contractor
Search the license on the board's own site.
Training near you
Apprentices are hired first and paid while they learn on the job and in class. Trade school comes first and charges tuition.
Apprenticeships in South Dakota
Trade schools in South Dakota
Where to train and find work near you
Union locals take apprenticeship applications and send members out to union contractors. Open-shop chapters run apprenticeship classes for the people their member contractors hire.
IBEW union locals
- IBEW Local 426Sioux Falls(605) 336-0370
- IBEW Local 1250Rapid City(605) 343-0954
- IBEW Local 231Office in Sioux City, IA(712) 255-8138
Electrical training centers (JATCs)
No center in the national list has an address in South Dakota. Electrical Training Alliance locator
IEC chapters (open shop)
- IEC Dakotas801 W. Blackhawk Street PO Box 2758, Sioux Falls(605) 271-0395
UA union locals
No UA local has its office in South Dakota. Search the UA local union finder.
Training
UA apprenticeships run through a joint committee of the local and union contractors. Call the local for the next application date.
PHCC chapters
- PHCC of South Dakota707 East 41st Street #220, Sioux Falls(605) 271-7255
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.
Carpenters union locals
- Carpenters Local 587Sioux Falls
Training
Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder
Home builder associations
- South Dakota HBAPO Box 1218, Pierre(605) 224-2761
- Aberdeen HBA125 S 2nd St, Aberdeen(605) 225-2055
- Brookings Regional Builders Association510 Main Ave Ste 8, Brookings
- Oahe Home Builders AssociationPO Box 221, Pierre(605) 494-0344
- Black Hills HBA1760 Rand Rd, Rapid City(605) 348-7850
- HBA of the Sioux Empire6904 S Lyncrest Pl, Sioux Falls(605) 361-8322
2 more chapters
- Watertown Area HBAPO Box 1271, Watertown(605) 878-3033
- Lewis & Clark Area HBAPO Box 582, Yankton(605) 661-7215
Roofers union locals
No Roofers local has its office in South Dakota. Search the Roofers union website.
Training
Roofers locals run their apprenticeship through a joint committee with union contractors.
Contractor associations
The national trade group for roofing contractors is the National Roofing Contractors Association.
Trade schools: where to apply
- Mitchell Technical College1800 E. Spruce Street, MitchellElectrical programHVAC programConstruction program
- Southeast Technical College2320 N Career Ave, Sioux FallsElectrical programPlumbing programHVAC program
- Western Dakota Technical College800 Mickelson Dr, Rapid City
- South Dakota State University1004 Campanile Ave, BrookingsConstruction program
- Lake Area Technical College1201 Arrow Ave, WatertownConstruction program
- National American University-Rapid City4020 Jackson Boulevard Suite 1, Rapid CityConstruction program
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, South Dakota, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)
- SD DLR - Electrical Commission (dlr.sd.gov)
- South Dakota lien law: SDCL 44-9-50; 44-9-53; 44-9-10 (sdlegislature.gov)
- South Dakota lien law: SDCL 44-9-15; 44-9-16; 44-9-17 (sdlegislature.gov)
- South Dakota lien law: SDCL 44-9-24 (sdlegislature.gov)
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (field of study and institution data) (collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026 (bls.gov)
- Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026 (census.gov)
- SD DLR - Plumbing Commission (dlr.sd.gov)