--- title: "Aircraft Mechanic Programs in South Dakota: Pay & Tuition" canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/aircraft-mechanic/south-dakota/ description: "Aircraft Mechanic pay in South Dakota: BLS average $75,360 (all experience levels), median $75,750, bottom 10% $51,160. 2 listed programs." updated: 2026-11-03 wage_source: "BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15" --- 1. [Home](https://highpayingtrades.com/) 2. [Trades](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/) 3. [Aircraft Mechanic](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/aircraft-mechanic/) 4. South Dakota South Dakota # Aircraft Mechanic programs in *South Dakota* 2 listed aircraft mechanic programs in South Dakota, plus BLS pay data for the state and 3 metro areas. - **$75,360** Average pay (state, all experience levels) - **$51,160** Entry-level / bottom 10% - **$75,750** Median pay (state) - **$89,360** Top 10% earn over 150 jobs in South Dakota · 2 listed programs. Average = BLS mean across all experience levels, not starting pay. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Cities with listed programs - [Watertown 2](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/aircraft-mechanic/south-dakota/watertown/) BLS wage data ## Aircraft Mechanic pay in South Dakota Annual wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. | Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | South Dakota | $51,160 | $63,900 | $75,750 | $83,080 | $89,360 | $75,360 | 150 | | United States | $48,780 | $62,630 | $79,870 | $99,130 | $128,890 | $84,740 | 138,090 | Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. ### Metro areas | Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Rapid City, SD | $52,710 | $74,800 | $81,400 | $81,890 | $88,800 | $77,000 | 50 | | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $51,160 | $63,900 | $74,150 | $83,130 | $97,670 | $75,480 | 80 | | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $33,740 | $44,630 | $67,350 | $75,440 | $79,440 | $62,400 | 40 | Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown. Programs ## Listed programs in South Dakota Every aircraft mechanic program we matched in South Dakota. Schools with published tuition are listed first. | Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Lake Area Technical College](https://www.lakeareatech.edu/) Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician | Watertown, SD | Associate degree | 9 | $7,622 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0608 | | [Lake Area Technical College](https://www.lakeareatech.edu/) Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician | Watertown, SD | Certificate (2-4 years) | 8 | $7,622 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0608 | Schools: NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code; “Graduates 2023-24” is the number of first-major certificates or associate degrees the school awarded in that program from July 2023 to June 2024 (IPEDS). Tuition: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (updated 2026-10-15), matched by IPEDS unit ID; it is the published figure, not a quote. Apprenticeship sponsors: DOL Office of Apprenticeship partner file (retrieved 2026-10-29); apprenticeships are typically paid, so no tuition is listed — contact the program. ### Browse by city - [Watertown 2](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/aircraft-mechanic/south-dakota/watertown/) Related resources ## Keep researching [**Trade schools approved for the GI Bill** Search programs that accept VA education benefits. · VeteranTradeSchools.com](https://veterantradeschools.com/) [**Registered apprenticeships in South Dakota** The full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com](https://registeredtradeschools.com/apprenticeships/sd/) ## Sources - **Wages:** U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 ([news release USDL-26-0725](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ocwage_05152026.htm); [data tables](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm)). Cross-checked against the BLS Public Data API on 2026-11-03. - **Occupation:** O\*NET OnLine, [49-3011.00 Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/49-3011.00), retrieved 2026-11-03 (CC BY 4.0). - **Apprenticeship sponsors:** U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship: partner sponsors file, retrieved 2026-10-29 ([Partner Finder](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/partner-finder)). - **Schools & graduates:** U.S. Department of Education, NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024\_A) and Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), award year 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code ([completions file](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/data/C2024_A.zip); [CIP-SOC crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/Files/CIP2020_SOC2018_Crosswalk.xlsx)). - **Tuition:** U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts: Institution + Field of Study), data updated 2026-10-15, matched by IPEDS unit ID ([source](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/)). Program listings are matched from public files by occupation code or organization name; they are not endorsements and we have not visited or tested any program. Confirm schedules, entry requirements and costs with the program. Compiled by the HighPayingTrades team; last refreshed 2026-11-03. --- Canonical HTML: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/aircraft-mechanic/south-dakota/ Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ocwage_05152026.htm). Programs: NCES IPEDS 2023-24 completions; DOL Office of Apprenticeship. Tuition: College Scorecard.