Highest-paying trades in South Dakota
Updated September 27, 2026
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers are the highest-paying skilled trade in South Dakota, with a median of $116,320 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. 50 of the 65 trades ranked here pay more than the $47,080 median for all jobs in South Dakota.
All 65 trades by median pay in South Dakota
| # | Trade | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator and escalator installers and repairers+6% vs U.S. | $116,320$55.92/hr |
| 2 | Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay40 jobs · −1% vs U.S. | $101,830$48.96/hr |
| 3 | Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door150 jobs · +32% vs U.S. | $98,090$47.16/hr |
| 4 | Electrical power-line installers and repairers740 jobs · +2% vs U.S. | $97,310$46.79/hr |
| 5 | Avionics technicians40 jobs · +1% vs U.S. | $83,220$40.01/hr |
| 6 | Aircraft mechanics and service technicians150 jobs · −5% vs U.S. | $75,750$36.42/hr |
| 7 | Wind turbine service technicians180 jobs · +15% vs U.S. | $73,820$35.49/hr |
| 8 | Rail car repairers90 jobs · +6% vs U.S. | $71,750$34.50/hr |
| 9 | Medical equipment repairers150 jobs · +13% vs U.S. | $69,530$33.43/hr |
| 10 | Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines830 jobs · +2% vs U.S. | $66,730$32.08/hr |
| 11 | Construction and building inspectors200 jobs · −13% vs U.S. | $64,940$31.22/hr |
| 12 | Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment470 jobs · −12% vs U.S. | $64,900$31.20/hr |
| 13 | Rail-Track laying and maintenance equipment operators110 jobs · −8% vs U.S. | $64,500$31.01/hr |
| 14 | Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers30 jobs · 0% vs U.S. | $63,620$30.59/hr |
| 15 | Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians820 jobs · +10% vs U.S. | $62,140$29.87/hr |
| 16 | Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers520 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $62,000$29.81/hr |
| 17 | Millwrights240 jobs · −6% vs U.S. | $61,820$29.72/hr |
| 18 | Industrial machinery mechanics1,230 jobs · −5% vs U.S. | $61,560$29.60/hr |
| 19 | Electricians2,980 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $61,390$29.51/hr |
| 20 | Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers1,610 jobs · +1% vs U.S. | $61,390$29.51/hr |
| 21 | Brickmasons and blockmasons320 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $60,380$29.03/hr |
| 22 | Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators130 jobs · +13% vs U.S. | $60,140$28.92/hr |
| 23 | Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers300 jobs · +25% vs U.S. | $59,700$28.70/hr |
| 24 | Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators2,050 jobs · −1% vs U.S. | $59,500$28.61/hr |
| 25 | Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles180 jobs · +4% vs U.S. | $58,930$28.33/hr |
| 26 | Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists1,340 jobs · −6% vs U.S. | $58,120$27.94/hr |
| 27 | Structural iron and steel workers440 jobs · −9% vs U.S. | $57,050$27.43/hr |
| 28 | Security and fire alarm systems installers220 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $55,690$26.77/hr |
| 29 | Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters1,760 jobs · −19% vs U.S. | $51,620$24.82/hr |
| 30 | Hazardous materials removal workers190 jobs · +4% vs U.S. | $51,420$24.72/hr |
| 31 | Automotive service technicians and mechanics2,010 jobs · +1% vs U.S. | $51,160$24.60/hr |
| 32 | Pipelayers300 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $50,650$24.35/hr |
| 33 | Tile and stone setters30 jobs · −9% vs U.S. | $50,640$24.34/hr |
| 34 | Mechanical door repairers160 jobs · −9% vs U.S. | $50,500$24.28/hr |
| 35 | Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers60 jobs · −11% vs U.S. | $50,150$24.11/hr |
| 36 | Telecommunications line installers and repairers590 jobs · −33% vs U.S. | $49,560$23.83/hr |
| 37 | Automotive body and related repairers800 jobs · −10% vs U.S. | $49,460$23.78/hr |
| 38 | Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers3,250 jobs · −8% vs U.S. | $49,440$23.77/hr |
| 39 | Drywall and ceiling tile installers360 jobs · −17% vs U.S. | $48,850$23.49/hr |
| 40 | Highway maintenance workers1,800 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $48,610$23.37/hr |
| 41 | Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other560 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $48,490$23.31/hr |
| 42 | Fence erectors170 jobs · +1% vs U.S. | $48,380$23.26/hr |
| 43 | Painters, construction and maintenance670 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $48,160$23.15/hr |
| 44 | Carpenters4,560 jobs · −21% vs U.S. | $48,140$23.14/hr |
| 45 | Maintenance and repair workers, general3,450 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $48,100$23.13/hr |
| 46 | Sheet metal workers320 jobs · −23% vs U.S. | $47,800$22.98/hr |
| 47 | Roofers400 jobs · −14% vs U.S. | $47,710$22.94/hr |
| 48 | Home appliance repairers100 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $47,340$22.76/hr |
| 49 | Cement masons and concrete finishers2,550 jobs · −17% vs U.S. | $47,160$22.67/hr |
| 50 | Glaziers220 jobs · −17% vs U.S. | $47,140$22.66/hr |
| 51 | Manufactured building and mobile home installers50 jobs · +2% vs U.S. | $46,890$22.54/hr |
| 52 | Motorboat mechanics and service technicians90 jobs · −19% vs U.S. | $46,840$22.52/hr |
| 53 | Motorcycle mechanics200 jobs · −4% vs U.S. | $46,490$22.35/hr |
| 54 | Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall340 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $45,820$22.03/hr |
| 55 | Construction laborers1,780 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $45,710$21.98/hr |
| 56 | Maintenance workers, machinery50 jobs · −26% vs U.S. | $45,240$21.75/hr |
| 57 | Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers290 jobs · −8% vs U.S. | $43,860$21.09/hr |
| 58 | Solar photovoltaic installers50 jobs · −20% vs U.S. | $42,380$20.37/hr |
| 59 | Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics160 jobs · −13% vs U.S. | $41,580$19.99/hr |
| 60 | Carpet installers80 jobs · −20% vs U.S. | $40,420$19.43/hr |
| 61 | Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners120 jobs · −20% vs U.S. | $40,040$19.25/hr |
| 62 | Recreational vehicle service technicians30 jobs · −23% vs U.S. | $39,820$19.14/hr |
| 63 | Audiovisual equipment installers and repairers60 jobs · −26% vs U.S. | $38,860$18.68/hr |
| 64 | Tire repairers and changers360 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $38,800$18.65/hr |
| 65 | Bicycle repairers80 jobs · −26% vs U.S. | $31,500$15.15/hr |
Linked trades have full South Dakota pay pages, with pay in each metro area. See also: highest-paying trades in the U.S.
How we ranked them
Ranked by median annual wage in South Dakota, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state estimates, May 2025. “vs U.S.” compares each trade with its own national median. Which occupations count as trades: Construction occupations and installation, maintenance, and repair occupations (BLS major groups 47 and 49), plus welders, excluding first-line supervisors, helpers, and mining and oil-and-gas extraction occupations. BLS doesn't publish a South Dakota median for 23 of the 88 trades in the national ranking, usually because too few people do that work there to estimate; they're left out. Wages exclude self-employed workers. Methodology
Questions
- What is the highest-paying trade in South Dakota?
- Elevator and escalator installers and repairers, with a median of $116,320 a year ($55.92 an hour) in South Dakota, per May 2025 BLS data.
- Which trades pay over $100,000 in South Dakota?
- 2 trades have a median of $100,000 or more in South Dakota: elevator and escalator installers and repairers ($116,320), electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay ($101,830).
- How many trades pay more than the typical job in South Dakota?
- 50 of the 65 trades ranked here have a median above $47,080, the median for all occupations in South Dakota.
- Do trades pay more in South Dakota than in the rest of the U.S.?
- 19 of the 65 trades have a higher median in South Dakota than nationally. The biggest gap is control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door: $98,090, 32% above the U.S. median of $74,340.
- Which trade employs the most people in South Dakota?
- Carpenters, with about 4,560 jobs and a median of $48,140 a year.