Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship in South Dakota

Wages, programs & career outlook

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters install and repair the piping systems that carry water, gas, steam, and waste. Residential plumbers work on homes; pipefitters and steamfitters handle industrial and commercial systems with higher pressures and tighter tolerances.

SD Median Salary
$50,790/yr
-19% vs. national
National Median
$62,970/yr
SD Employment
1,800
Plumber & Pipefitters employed
SD Sponsors
10
Registered programs
Training Term
4.0 yrs
Time-Based
Job Growth
4.5%
2024–2034 projected
Annual Openings
44,000
Nationally, per yr

Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship in South Dakota: Quick Facts

What apprenticeship means here

A registered plumber & pipefitter apprenticeship in South Dakota combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Programs typically run 4.0 years and follow a time-based structure. You earn wages from day one — apprentices are employees, not students.

South Dakota pay vs. national

Median plumber & pipefitter wages in South Dakota are $50,790/year, -19% below the national median of $62,970. Wages scale with experience — journey-level workers earn substantially more than apprentices.

Where to find programs

South Dakota has 10 registered apprenticeship sponsors for plumber & pipefitter listed in the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov directory. The sponsor list further down includes joint labor-management programs (JATCs), individual employers, and contractor associations.

Job-market outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4.5% job growth for plumber & pipefitters nationally between 2024 and 2034, with approximately 44,000 annual openings each year (replacement plus growth combined). Apprenticeship demand tends to track local construction and infrastructure spending — South Dakota-specific outlook can vary from national figures.

South Dakota Wage Spread

Annual wages for Plumber & Pipefitters in South Dakota across all experience levels.

10th pct
$39,080
Median
$50,790
90th pct
$75,290
Middle 50% of workers earn $44,410$63,260

Current Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship Openings in South Dakota

No plumber & pipefitter apprenticeship openings are currently listed on apprenticeship.gov for South Dakota. The sponsors listed below accept applications on a rolling basis — contact them directly. Consider setting up an alert on apprenticeship.gov to be notified when new listings are posted.

Listings aggregated from apprenticeship.gov (US Dept. of Labor). Data refreshed daily.

Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship Sponsors in South Dakota

10 plumber & pipefitter-related registered sponsors identified in the DOL ApprenticeshipUSA directory for South Dakota. Directory lists sponsor names only — contact each organization directly to confirm current plumber & pipefitter apprenticeship openings.

Organization City County
Haar Plumbing & Heating Aberdeen Brown County
The Plumber, Inc. Belle Fourche Butte County
TOTAL FIRE PROTECTION Brandon Minnehaha County
Krohmer Plumbing Mitchell Davison County
Olson Plumbing, Inc. Pierre Hughes County
Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Rapid City Pennington County
RAPID FIRE PROTECTION,INC. Rapid City Pennington County
HANDER PLUMBING & HEATING, INC. Sioux Falls Minnehaha, Lincoln County
SERVICE FIRST FIRE SPRINKLER Sioux Falls Minnehaha County
XTREME FIRE PROTECTION, LLC Sioux Falls Minnehaha, Lincoln County
Search apprenticeship.gov for current Plumber & Pipefitter openings

Filter by occupation code 47-2152 and state SD for the most relevant results.

Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship in South Dakota

Apprenticeship seekers in South Dakota can contact any of 10 trade-specific sponsors our directory surfaces. Coverage is reasonable in urban centers, thinner in rural regions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Plumber & Pipefitters make in South Dakota?
The median annual wage for Plumber & Pipefitters in South Dakota is $50,790 as of May 2024. Wages range from $39,080 at the 10th percentile to $75,290 at the 90th percentile.
How many years does it take to become a Plumber & Pipefitter through apprenticeship?
The standard Plumber & Pipefitter apprenticeship is 4 years of combined on-the-job training and classroom education. Some programs offer accelerated paths for candidates with prior experience.
Should I do a Plumber & Pipefitter apprenticeship or go to trade school?
The key difference: apprenticeships pay you during training while trade schools charge tuition. Many employers prefer apprenticeship-trained Plumber & Pipefitters, but trade school can give you a head start on the classroom requirements.
How do I find a Plumber & Pipefitter apprenticeship in South Dakota?
Our directory surfaces 10 Plumber & Pipefitter-related registered sponsors in South Dakota. Start with your local trade union hall, joint apprenticeship committee (JAC), or state apprenticeship agency. You can also search apprenticeship.gov by occupation and ZIP.
How much do Plumber & Pipefitter apprentices earn?
Yes. Apprentices earn wages from day one, typically starting at 40–60% of the journeyman rate (roughly $25,395/yr in South Dakota). Wages increase at regular intervals — usually every 6 months — as you progress through the program.

Prefer Trade School Instead?

Apprenticeships pay from day one, but the classroom-first path may fit better for some. Plumber & Pipefitters also train through trade school programs — shorter timeline, more upfront cost.

Compare 19 Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services programs nationwide →
Too few South Dakota-based programs to compare locally — see the national list and filter.

Plumber & Pipefitter in Other States

Other Apprenticeships in South Dakota

Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2024, DOL RAPIDS Registered Apprenticeship database, ApprenticeshipUSA Sponsor Directory.