South Dakota Apprenticeship Programs
South Dakota runs a smaller registered-apprenticeship system in the country — 3,000 active apprentices across 148 programs, with a 63% completion rate and wages that climb from $15 to $27.
- Active apprentices
- 3,000
- National rank
- #45 / 51
- Completion rate
- 63%
- Completion wage
- $27
South Dakota ranks #45 of 51 of 51 jurisdictions by active registered apprentices — about 0.4% of all U.S. registered apprentices. Its 63% completion rate sits 4.8 pts above the 58.2% national average, and apprentices who finish raise their pay by 83% — from $15 to $27 an hour.
Where South Dakota sits among all 51 jurisdictions
Active registered apprentices by state (in thousands). South Dakota is marked in rose; most states cluster at the lower end while a few large states carry the bulk of enrollment.
South Dakota has active apprentices of 3k. Distribution: 26 states at 0-10k; 11 states at 10-20k; 6 states at 20-30k; 3 states at 30-40k; 2 states at 40-50k; 1 states at 50-60k; 0 states at 60-70k; 1 states at 70-80k; 1 states at 80-90k.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor registered-apprenticeship data, compiled by PlainWorkforce. Counts rounded to the nearest thousand.
South Dakota's largest registered-apprenticeship occupations, ranked by AI-exposure score — most sit well below the 37% occupation-wide average (the dotted line), which is exactly why the trades are AI-resilient. Bars link to the full occupation profile where tracked.
- Electrician 13%
- Plumber 27%
- Carpenter 28%
- HVAC Mechanic —
- Sheet Metal Worker 23%
AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis of O*NET task data; the 37% line is the average across all 832 tracked occupations. Lower = more AI-resilient.
South Dakota vs. the national average
Frequently asked questions
How many apprentices does South Dakota have?
South Dakota has approximately 3,000 active registered apprentices across about 148 registered programs, ranking 45 of 51 U.S. jurisdictions by active enrollment (U.S. Department of Labor registered-apprenticeship data).
What is the apprenticeship completion rate in South Dakota?
South Dakota's registered-apprenticeship completion rate is approximately 63%, 4.8 points above the 58.2% national average across all 51 jurisdictions.
How much do apprentices earn in South Dakota?
Registered apprentices in South Dakota start at around $15 per hour and earn approximately $27 per hour on completion — a 83% increase. Wages rise progressively as skills develop.
What are the top apprenticeship trades in South Dakota?
The most common registered-apprenticeship trades in South Dakota are Electrician, Plumber, Carpenter, HVAC Mechanic, Sheet Metal Worker. Construction trades (electricians, plumbers, carpenters) dominate registered enrollment nationally.
Compare other states
Data sources: U.S. Department of Labor — Registered Apprenticeship (active apprentices, registered programs, completion rates, and wages by state); O*NET (occupation task data, for the linked AI-exposure scores). Compiled and formatted by PlainWorkforce. Enrollment and wage figures are rounded. See our methodology for how this data is sourced and computed.