Job training programs in South Dakota

61 programs in 9 trades, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

12 schools offer these programs, and every one is approved for workforce funding. Compare the trades below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

Compare job training in South Dakota: cost, pay and results

Job training in South Dakota, by trade
Training	Programs	Most cost	Earned a year, estimated	Working 6 months later	Finished
CDL training	13	$500 to $4,500	about $45,200	Not reported	100%
Welding classes	12	$1,364 to $8,885	about $42,000	Not reported	79%
Medical billing and coding training	11	$3,825 to $11,380	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
LPN programs	7	$11,220 to $13,284	Not reported	Not reported	66%
HVAC training	5	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Medical assistant training	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
EMT classes	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Phlebotomy training	3	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
CNA classes	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported

Each figure is the middle program of that trade. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools in South Dakota may offer more. How these figures are made

Is there free job training in South Dakota?

Workforce funding can pay for job training in South Dakota

Every program on this page is approved for public workforce funding, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.¹People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.²

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).³

Or pay for training yourself

Without funding, prices differ by trade: most CDL training programs in South Dakota cost $500 to $4,500, and most LPN programs $11,220 to $13,284. Each trade's page lists every program with its price.

Where the South Dakota job training numbers come from

Which South Dakota programs are counted?

Programs South Dakota approved for public workforce funding (the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act). They come from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering 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.

What the figures for each trade mean

Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where too few programs report a figure, the table says "Not reported".

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.

Sources for the funding facts about job training in South Dakota

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