How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Rapid City, SD?

The median hourly wage is $29.53. The middle half earn between $23.77 and $31.69 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Rapid City, SD?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.08 an hour ($48,010 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.77.

Do HVAC technicians make more in Rapid City or Sioux Falls?

Sioux Falls pays more: the median is $61,430 in Rapid City and $62,440 in Sioux Falls, a 2% difference.

How does Rapid City pay compare with the rest of South Dakota?

The Rapid City median of $61,430 is about the same as the South Dakota median of $61,390.

HVAC technician salary in Rapid City, SD

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

HVAC technicians in the Rapid City, SD area earn a median of $61,430 a year, or $29.53 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $74,280. Statewide, HVAC technicians earn a median of $61,390; Rapid City is right at that level.

Median yearly pay$61,430

Bottom 10% under$48,010Top 10% over$74,280

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $23.08/hr
Jobs in this area: 360
After cost of living: $68,900
Median hourly pay: $29.53/hr
vs U.S. median: +1%
vs South Dakota median: 0%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 39660, Rapid City, SD). Excludes self-employed HVAC technicians. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. *Starting pay is estimated from the 10th percentile; BLS does not report pay by license level.

Apprentice to senior HVAC technician pay

Stage	Yearly pay	Hourly pay
Apprentice / entry level	$48,010–$49,440$23.08–$23.77/hr
Experienced technician	$61,430$29.53/hr
Senior / top earners	$65,910–$74,280$31.69–$35.71/hr

Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.

How Rapid City, SD compares

Rapid City ranks 2nd of 3 South Dakota metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
HVAC technicians are more concentrated in the Rapid City area than nationally: 4.9 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.9 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $74,280, is 1.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $48,010: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other South Dakota metro areas

Other trades in Rapid City, SD

Electrician Welder Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do HVAC technicians make in Rapid City, SD?: HVAC technicians in the Rapid City, SD area earn a median of $61,430 a year, or $29.53 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $74,280.
How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Rapid City, SD?: The median hourly wage is $29.53. The middle half earn between $23.77 and $31.69 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Rapid City, SD?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.08 an hour ($48,010 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.77.
Do HVAC technicians make more in Rapid City or Sioux Falls?: Sioux Falls pays more: the median is $61,430 in Rapid City and $62,440 in Sioux Falls, a 2% difference.
How does Rapid City pay compare with the rest of South Dakota?: The Rapid City median of $61,430 is about the same as the South Dakota median of $61,390.

About this data

Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 49-9021 (Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers), area code 39660 (Rapid City, SD). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed HVAC technicians and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (89.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures