Trade Schools in South Dakota
70 programs at 9 schools · Average earnings $42,098/yr
Programs Analyzed
70
Schools
9
Avg Grad Earnings
$42,098/yr
Avg Score
60/100
Highest Earning Programs in South Dakota
Top 10 trade programs by first-year graduate earnings in South Dakota.
| Program | School | Earnings | Score | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Engineering Technology | Lake Area Technical College | $75,253/yr | 64 | Exposed |
| Nursing | National American University-Rapid City | $73,942/yr | 71 | Moderate |
| Allied Health Professions | Southeast Technical College | $73,361/yr | 68 | Resilient |
| Electromechanical Technology | Mitchell Technical College | $72,319/yr | 61 | Resilient |
| Nursing | Lake Area Technical College | $66,233/yr | 78 | Moderate |
| Nursing | Southeast Technical College | $62,601/yr | 75 | Moderate |
| Electrical Installation | Mitchell Technical College | $60,565/yr | 82 | AI-Proof |
| Electromechanical Technology | Lake Area Technical College | $60,085/yr | 59 | Resilient |
| Allied Health Professions | Mitchell Technical College | $58,960/yr | 63 | Resilient |
| Agricultural Mechanization | Mitchell Technical College | $55,301/yr | 58 | Resilient |
Browse by Category
Skilled Trades (12)
Healthcare (24)
Engineering & Technology (11)
Criminal Justice & Public Safety (3)
Personal Services (4)
Business & Office (9)
Agriculture & Natural Resources (3)
Other Programs (4)
Skilled Trades (12 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Installation | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
82 | $60,565/yr | AI-Proof |
| Electrical Installation | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
69 | $49,794/yr | AI-Proof |
| Construction Management Technology | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
66 | $38,635/yr | AI-Proof |
| Construction Management Technology | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
66 | $37,485/yr | AI-Proof |
| Vehicle Repair Technology | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
64 | $47,080/yr | AI-Proof |
| Precision Metalworking | Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City |
63 | $44,614/yr | AI-Proof |
| Vehicle Repair Technology | Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls |
62 | $46,262/yr | AI-Proof |
| Vehicle Repair Technology | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
60 | $44,032/yr | AI-Proof |
| Electrical Installation | Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City |
60 | $41,303/yr | AI-Proof |
| Vehicle Repair Technology | Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City |
59 | $38,031/yr | AI-Proof |
| Precision Metalworking | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
57 | $43,436/yr | AI-Proof |
| Precision Metalworking | Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City |
51 | $37,717/yr | AI-Proof |
Healthcare (24 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
78 | $66,233/yr | Moderate |
| Nursing | Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls |
75 | $62,601/yr | Moderate |
| Practical Nursing | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
74 | $42,160/yr | AI-Proof |
| Practical Nursing | Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City |
72 | $43,884/yr | AI-Proof |
| Practical Nursing | Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls |
72 | $38,446/yr | AI-Proof |
| Nursing | National American University-Rapid City Rapid City |
71 | $73,942/yr | Moderate |
| Allied Health Professions | Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls |
68 | $73,361/yr | Resilient |
| Practical Nursing | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
68 | $38,287/yr | AI-Proof |
| Health Administration | National American University-Rapid City Rapid City |
64 | $37,252/yr | Moderate |
| Allied Health Professions | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
63 | $58,960/yr | Resilient |
| Allied Health Professions | Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City |
62 | $54,737/yr | Resilient |
| Practical Nursing | National American University-Rapid City Rapid City |
61 | $37,827/yr | AI-Proof |
| Dental Assisting | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
59 | $36,631/yr | Resilient |
| Medical Assisting | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
59 | $35,932/yr | Resilient |
| Clinical Laboratory Science | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
57 | $47,512/yr | Resilient |
| Medical Assisting | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
56 | $35,074/yr | Resilient |
| Clinical Laboratory Science | Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City |
55 | $46,378/yr | Resilient |
| Medical Assisting | National American University-Rapid City Rapid City |
54 | $37,282/yr | Resilient |
| Health Administration | National American University-Rapid City Rapid City |
54 | $28,699/yr | Moderate |
| Medical Assisting | Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City |
53 | $22,074/yr | Resilient |
| Dental Assisting | Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City |
52 | $32,951/yr | Resilient |
| Medical Assisting | National American University-Rapid City Rapid City |
52 | $30,234/yr | Resilient |
| Allied Health Professions | National American University-Rapid City Rapid City |
50 | $41,564/yr | Resilient |
| Massage Therapy | Paul Mitchell the School-Rapid City Rapid City |
44 | $27,821/yr | Resilient |
Engineering & Technology (11 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Networking | Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls |
66 | $46,959/yr | Exposed |
| IT Management | Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls |
65 | $42,439/yr | Exposed |
| Construction Engineering Technology | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
64 | $75,253/yr | Exposed |
| Electromechanical Technology | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
61 | $72,319/yr | Resilient |
| Computer Programming | Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls |
61 | $53,874/yr | Exposed |
| Computer Networking | Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City |
60 | $40,418/yr | Exposed |
| Electromechanical Technology | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
59 | $60,085/yr | Resilient |
| Environmental Technology | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
56 | $50,685/yr | Resilient |
| Industrial Production Technology | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
56 | $50,348/yr | Resilient |
| IT Management | National American University-Rapid City Rapid City |
56 | $33,190/yr | Exposed |
| Electrical Engineering Technology | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
55 | $51,832/yr | Moderate |
Criminal Justice & Public Safety (3 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice | Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls |
71 | $49,560/yr | Resilient |
| Criminal Justice | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
68 | $41,230/yr | Resilient |
| Criminal Justice | Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City |
58 | $27,459/yr | Resilient |
Personal Services (4 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetology | The Salon Professional Academy Rapid City |
46 | $24,068/yr | Resilient |
| Cosmetology | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
46 | $20,420/yr | Resilient |
| Cosmetology | Stewart School Sioux Falls |
45 | $22,684/yr | Resilient |
| Cosmetology | Paul Mitchell the School-Rapid City Rapid City |
43 | $18,561/yr | Resilient |
Business & Office (9 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business | Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls |
68 | $37,383/yr | Moderate |
| Accounting | Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls |
66 | $44,850/yr | Exposed |
| Finance | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
65 | $40,070/yr | Exposed |
| Accounting | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
63 | $40,475/yr | Exposed |
| Business Administration | National American University-Rapid City Rapid City |
62 | $33,364/yr | Moderate |
| Business Administration | Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City |
58 | $24,503/yr | Moderate |
| Marketing | Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls |
56 | $39,617/yr | Exposed |
| Accounting | National American University-Rapid City Rapid City |
55 | $32,546/yr | Exposed |
| Marketing | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
52 | $32,043/yr | Exposed |
Agriculture & Natural Resources (3 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Business | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
66 | $41,340/yr | Moderate |
| Agricultural Mechanization | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
58 | $55,301/yr | Resilient |
| Agricultural Production Operations | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
55 | $40,871/yr | Moderate |
Other Programs (4 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geography and Cartography | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
54 | $41,879/yr | Moderate |
| Human Services | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell |
48 | $35,070/yr | Resilient |
| Human Services | Lake Area Technical College Watertown |
42 | $26,730/yr | Resilient |
| Liberal Arts & Humanities | South Dakota State University Brookings |
32 | $20,704/yr | AI-Proof |
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About This Data
This page shows 70 trade and vocational programs at 9 schools in South Dakota using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034), and AI resilience research.
Programs are grouped by field of study with Skilled Trades listed first. Click any program for detailed earnings projections and career path analysis.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034, OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research.
Last updated 2026.