How much do welders make an hour in South Dakota?

The median hourly wage is $23.77. The middle half earn between $21.98 and $28.54 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice welders make in South Dakota?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.32 an hour ($38,100 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.98.

Where in South Dakota do welders earn the most?

Among South Dakota metro areas, Sioux City has the highest median at $58,230 a year, and Rapid City the lowest at $51,690.

Do welders in South Dakota earn more than the national average?

The South Dakota median of $49,440 is 8% less than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in South Dakota run 11% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $55,810 would nationally.

Welder salary in South Dakota

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Welders in South Dakota earn a median of $49,440 a year, or $23.77 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $63,380 a year. Nationally the median is $53,750, so South Dakota pays 8% less than the U.S. overall and ranks 45th of 51.

Median yearly pay$49,440

Bottom 10% under$38,100Top 10% over$63,380

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $18.32/hr
Jobs in South Dakota: 3,250
After cost of living: $55,810
Median hourly pay: $23.77/hr
vs U.S. median: −8%
Rank among states: 45th of 51

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 46). Excludes self-employed welders. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. *Starting pay is estimated from the 10th percentile; BLS does not report pay by license level.

Entry-level to top welder pay

Stage	Yearly pay	Hourly pay
Entry level	$38,100–$45,710$18.32–$21.98/hr
Experienced welder	$49,440$23.77/hr
Top earners	$59,360–$63,380$28.54–$30.47/hr

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

How South Dakota compares

Welders are more concentrated in South Dakota than nationally: 7.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 2.7 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $63,380, is 1.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $38,100: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Pay by metro area

Rural South Dakota

East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area$49,070
West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area$45,980

Other trades in South Dakota

Electrician HVAC technician Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do welders make in South Dakota?: Welders in South Dakota earn a median of $49,440 a year, or $23.77 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $63,380 a year.
How much do welders make an hour in South Dakota?: The median hourly wage is $23.77. The middle half earn between $21.98 and $28.54 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice welders make in South Dakota?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.32 an hour ($38,100 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.98.
Where in South Dakota do welders earn the most?: Among South Dakota metro areas, Sioux City has the highest median at $58,230 a year, and Rapid City the lowest at $51,690.
Do welders in South Dakota earn more than the national average?: The South Dakota median of $49,440 is 8% less than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in South Dakota run 11% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $55,810 would nationally.

About this data

Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 51-4121 (Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers), area code 46. BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed welders 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 (88.6, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures