CNC machinist training in South Dakota

3 CNC machinist programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

2 schools offer these machinist programs, and South Dakota has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Machinists set up and run equipment, including computer-controlled (CNC) machines, to make precision metal parts and tools. Community colleges and technical schools offer certificates and two-year degrees that teach reading engineering drawings and programming CNC machines.¹ In South Dakota, every program asks for a diploma or other schooling first, and 2 are taught partly or fully online.

See the 3 programs

How much does CNC machinist training cost in South Dakota?

$12,012 to $19,448

from the lowest-priced program to the highest, if you pay yourself

In the typical program

Finished the program: Not enough data
Working 6 months later: Not reported
Earned a year, estimated: Not enough data
Length: Not enough data

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in South Dakota may also offer CNC machinist training. How these figures are made

Is there free CNC machinist training in South Dakota?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. These programs cost $12,012 to $19,448.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: paid apprenticeships, financial aid and the GI Bill

CNC machinist training in Rapid City, Watertown and other South Dakota cities

Choosing an area filters the list below.

All 3 CNC machinist programs in South Dakota approved for WIOA funding

3 programs

Machinist (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Precision Machining | AAS | Campus
Lake Area Technical College
Watertown
High school diploma or equivalent
Lake Area Technical College, Watertown · Machinist (associate degree) · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$18,300
Price if you pay yourself$17,452
Program website, Precision Machining | AAS | Campus at Lake Area Technical College
More details about Precision Machining | AAS | Campus at Lake Area Technical College
Finished
70%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
$4,586
Length
68 weeks, 23 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$945
Students counted
73
a year, estimated
$18,300
price
$17,452
Machinist certificate or diplomaHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent
Precision Machining Technology | Diploma | Hybrid (42 credit hours)
Western Dakota Technical College
Rapid City
High school diploma or equivalent
Western Dakota Technical College, Rapid City · Machinist certificate or diploma · Hybrid · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$12,012
Program website, Precision Machining Technology | Diploma | Hybrid (42 credit hours) at Western Dakota Technical College
More details about Precision Machining Technology | Diploma | Hybrid (42 credit hours) at Western Dakota Technical College
Finished
63%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
32 weeks, 24 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$5,624
Students counted
21
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$12,012
Machinist (associate degree)HybridHigh school diploma or equivalent
Drafting and Machining Technology | AAS | Hybrid (68 credit hours)
Western Dakota Technical College
Rapid City
High school diploma or equivalent
Western Dakota Technical College, Rapid City · Machinist (associate degree) · Hybrid · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$19,448
Program website, Drafting and Machining Technology | AAS | Hybrid (68 credit hours) at Western Dakota Technical College
More details about Drafting and Machining Technology | AAS | Hybrid (68 credit hours) at Western Dakota Technical College
Finished
50%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
64 weeks, 21 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$6,879
Students counted
19
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$19,448

How to pay for CNC machinist training in South Dakota

WIOA funding can pay for CNC machinist training in South Dakota

Every program on this page is approved for WIOA funding: public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.²People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.³Your state or local area may limit how much WIOA pays and for how long. If a program costs more, a Pell Grant, a scholarship or severance pay can cover the rest.⁴

Ask at an American Job Center

Eligibility rules apply, and services vary from state to state. Your local American Job Center can tell you whether you qualify. The Department of Labor's page links to the center finder, or call 1-877-US-2JOBS (1-877-872-5627).⁵

Paid machinist apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is a job: you're paid to learn, with a raise as your skills grow, and most include classroom teaching. You apply to the employer or the program sponsor. Ask what you'll pay for the classroom part and what you'll earn on the job.⁶

Financial aid and grants for CNC machinist training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁷⁸

GI Bill for CNC machinist training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁹

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Machinist apprenticeships in South Dakota

A machinist apprenticeship is usually run by an employer. It combines paid training on the job with related classes and lasts several years.¹

You apply to the employer or the program sponsor, not through a school.⁶ The Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Finder lists openings by place and job. None of the CNC machinist programs on this page is an apprenticeship.

What is an apprenticeship, and can WIOA pay for one?

Where the South Dakota machinist program numbers come from

Which South Dakota machinist programs are on this list?

These are the machinist programs South Dakota approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).¹⁰ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what South Dakota offers.

How the prices and results of South Dakota machinist programs are measured

The price is tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported it. "Trained with WIOA funding" on a program counts the people whose training there WIOA paid toward through a training account in program year 2024; the file never gives counts under 3, so a program without the line may still take WIOA students. It does not say how much of the price WIOA covered. Results describe students who left the program in recent years, and the yearly earnings figure is the reported quarter times four, an estimate. They describe past students, so they are no guarantee. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported". Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

How reliable are the South Dakota figures?

We leave out the share working 6 months later for South Dakota: its rates sit far below every other state's.

Other training in South Dakota

Sources for the facts about CNC machinist training in South Dakota

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