HVAC technician salary in South Dakota
Median $29.51 an hour for 1,610 HVAC technicians, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
HVAC technician pay in South Dakota: the full range
South Dakota ranks 24th of 51 states for median HVAC technician pay, and 10th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $33.31). 1,610 HVAC technicians work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.6× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $23.28 – $24.75 | $48,420 – $51,480 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $24.75 – $31.70 | $51,480 – $65,940 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $31.70 – $36.15 | $65,940 – $75,190 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
HVAC technician pay by metro in South Dakota
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | $23.55 | $30.02 | $33.13 | $36.57 | 600 | 2% above |
| Rapid City | $23.08 | $29.53 | $33.11 | $35.71 | 360 | about the same as |
| Sioux City | $18.91 | $28.77 | $33.26 | $39.37 | 200 | 3% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
HVAC technician wages in South Dakota over time
Table
| Year | South Dakota $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $13.01 | $25.14 | $14.50 | 490 |
| 2000 | $12.99 | $24.29 | $15.76 | 610 |
| 2001 | $13.88 | $25.23 | $16.35 | 710 |
| 2002 | $13.53 | $24.21 | $16.78 | 840 |
| 2003 | $13.38 | $23.41 | $16.90 | 890 |
| 2004 | $14.14 | $24.10 | $17.43 | 900 |
| 2005 | $14.51 | $23.92 | $17.81 | 1,180 |
| 2006 | $16.59 | $26.49 | $18.11 | 930 |
| 2007 | $16.68 | $25.90 | $18.44 | 850 |
| 2008 | $17.05 | $25.49 | $19.08 | 750 |
| 2009 | $17.13 | $25.71 | $19.76 | 820 |
| 2010 | $17.44 | $25.75 | $20.45 | 810 |
| 2011 | $18.50 | $26.48 | $20.86 | 710 |
| 2012 | $18.92 | $26.53 | $20.98 | 810 |
| 2013 | $19.98 | $27.61 | $21.10 | 860 |
| 2014 | $21.56 | $29.32 | $21.46 | 1,050 |
| 2015 | $21.86 | $29.69 | $21.69 | 890 |
| 2016 | $21.57 | $28.93 | $22.07 | 990 |
| 2017 | $19.46 | $25.56 | $22.64 | 930 |
| 2018 | $21.92 | $28.10 | $22.89 | 1,060 |
| 2019 | $22.22 | $27.98 | $23.43 | 1,080 |
| 2020 | $23.59 | $29.34 | $24.32 | 1,160 |
| 2021 | $22.68 | $26.95 | $23.38 | 1,260 |
| 2022 | $24.29 | $26.72 | $24.71 | 1,060 |
| 2023 | $26.20 | $27.68 | $27.55 | 1,120 |
| 2024 | $28.59 | $29.34 | $28.75 | 1,130 |
| 2025 | $29.51 | $29.51 | $29.33 | 1,610 |
In today's dollars, the median HVAC technician wage in South Dakota changed by -0.6% over the last ten years of data and by +5.5% since 2019.
Are there more HVAC technician jobs in South Dakota?
BLS counted 1,610 HVAC technicians in South Dakota in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 11%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.
Outlook for HVAC technicians in South Dakota
South Dakota's labor market agency projects the number of HVAC technicians in the state to change by +13.8% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,210 to 1,370, with about 120 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +10.9% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 1,610 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: South Dakota labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in South Dakota?
Contractor pay by county
Average pay at plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just HVAC technicians), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages. Across the 45 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 12,682 in 2015 to 17,169 in 2025, +35.4%.
| County | Establishments | Employees | Average annual pay | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meade County | 22 | 261 | $81,831 | $1,574 |
| Grant County | 8 | 42 | $80,178 | $1,542 |
| Minnehaha County | 103 | 1,794 | $73,747 | $1,418 |
| Pennington County | 65 | 807 | $71,100 | $1,367 |
| Charles Mix County | 5 | 16 | $69,412 | $1,335 |
| Clay County | 6 | 38 | $66,004 | $1,269 |
| Hughes County | 13 | 106 | $65,101 | $1,252 |
| Brookings County | 19 | 138 | $62,457 | $1,201 |
| Lawrence County | 15 | 102 | $62,278 | $1,198 |
| Codington County | 19 | 153 | $60,753 | $1,168 |
| Yankton County | 11 | 96 | $59,865 | $1,151 |
| Kingsbury County | 6 | 18 | $59,223 | $1,139 |
| Turner County | 4 | 17 | $58,904 | $1,133 |
| Custer County | 5 | 36 | $57,551 | $1,107 |
| Beadle County | 11 | 47 | $57,520 | $1,106 |
| Brown County | 24 | 152 | $54,050 | $1,039 |
| Brule County | 3 | 7 | $45,858 | $882 |
| Walworth County | 5 | 7 | $40,537 | $780 |
Keep comparing
HVAC technician pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in South Dakota
More on South Dakota
Questions this page answers
How much do HVAC technicians make in South Dakota?
The median HVAC technician in South Dakota earned $29.51 an hour ($61,390 a year) in May 2025, 1% above the national median of $29.33. The middle half earn $24.75–$31.70; the top 10% earn more than $36.15.
Where does South Dakota rank for HVAC technician pay?
South Dakota ranks 24th of 51 states for HVAC technician pay, with a median of $29.51 an hour, and 10th after adjusting for South Dakota's cost of living (BEA price parity 88.6, US = 100).
What is the union HVAC technician rate in South Dakota?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a HVAC technician classification for most South Dakota counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many HVAC technicians work in South Dakota?
BLS counted 1,610 HVAC technicians in South Dakota in May 2025, 3.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.34; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is HVAC technician work growing in South Dakota?
South Dakota's labor market agency projects +13.8% growth for HVAC technicians between 2024 and 2034, from 1,210 to 1,370 jobs.
How many HVAC technician openings a year are there in South Dakota?
South Dakota projects about 120 openings a year for HVAC technicians over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 40,600 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, South Dakota and metro areas, SOC 49-9021. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: South Dakota labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.