South Dakota

Operating Engineer programs in South Dakota

2 listed heavy equipment operator programs in South Dakota, plus BLS pay data for the state and 3 metro areas.

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$59,330Average pay (state, all experience levels)
$47,260Entry-level / bottom 10%
$59,500Median pay (state)
$75,880Top 10% earn over

2,050 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

BLS wage data

Operating Engineer pay in South Dakota

Annual wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.
Area	10th pct	25th pct	Median	75th pct	90th pct	Mean	Employed
South Dakota	$47,260	$50,690	$59,500	$63,460	$75,880	$59,330	2,050
United States	$42,190	$48,680	$59,850	$77,170	$101,090	$66,290	478,090

Metro areas

Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown.
Area	10th pct	25th pct	Median	75th pct	90th pct	Mean	Employed
Sioux Falls, SD-MN	$48,310	$56,380	$60,960	$64,760	$77,180	$62,140	630
Rapid City, SD	$48,630	$52,610	$60,660	$63,630	$75,240	$59,880	410
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD	$46,940	$51,220	$59,140	$63,070	$73,030	$59,840	200

Programs

Listed programs in South Dakota

Every heavy equipment operator program we matched in South Dakota. Schools with published tuition are listed first.

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.
Program / provider	Location	Type	Graduates 2023-24	Tuition	Source
Lake Area Technical College Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation	Watertown, SD	Certificate (1-2 years)	17	$7,622 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 49.0202
Lake Area Technical College Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation	Watertown, SD	Associate degree	12	$7,622 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide)	IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 49.0202

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Watertown 2

Related resources

Keep researching

GI Bill heavy equipment operator schoolsSchools approved for VA benefits. · VeteranTradeSchools.com Verified CDL training schoolsMany equipment jobs also involve hauling machines; compare CDL programs. · VerifiedCDLSchools.com Registered apprenticeships in South DakotaThe full DOL sponsor list for the state. · RegisteredTradeSchools.com

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; data tables). Cross-checked against the BLS Public Data API on 2026-11-03.
Occupation: O*NET OnLine, 47-2073.00 Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators, 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).
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; CIP-SOC crosswalk).
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).

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.