Best Community Colleges in South Dakota

Why Attend Community College in South Dakota?

South Dakota has a great deal to offer both students and professionals hoping to find a good alternative to the large public university system. Not only is the cost substantially lower (up to $5000) at many of its community college options like Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls and Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, but there’s also a wide variety of programs available which can prepare one for a successful career. South Dakota also offers a thriving economy, and even small towns offer great opportunities for employment.

What Career Pathways Are Available in South Dakota?

As of 2021, South Dakota offered 566 different job types. While this falls below the national median of 700, there are over 10% fewer job types available when compared to Louisiana, which has a total of 722. Despite the lower job count, South Dakota employs just over 0.30% of the country’s labor force, putting it in the 8th percentile of all states. While the job market in South Dakota is painfully small when compared to the larger parts of the country, its economy is strong in areas including technology, advanced manufacturing, food production, and leisure activities - particularly those that take place outdoors.

Despite the aforementioned vigor within the state, South Dakota still falls short of the national median when it comes to employment, as it only employs 421,230 people. This puts it nearly in the bottom 5 when compared to all 50 states, making it the 47th slot. When compared to the median state job market, which is Oregon, South Dakota falls short by a whopping 1.4 million employees (-1,404,140) and 76.9%.

What Are The Most Common Jobs in South Dakota?

Although there are over 500 different job types in South Dakota (566 to be exact), some of the most common are accountants and auditors, sales representatives, and laborer and freight/material movers.

Accountants and Auditors

In South Dakota, accountants and auditors can expect to see 5,530 such positions, putting it in the 41st slot of all states. Salaries average around $62,750 per year, but the state is quite a ways off the leader – California – which employs more than 151,000 and pays out more than $72,000 a year. That’s a difference of more than 96% when compared to the Gemstone state. But when it comes to salaries, South Dakota is still above the national average, as it offers about 120 percentile points higher than the rest of the nation.

Sales Representatives

In the nation, there are approximately 1.2 million sales reps, 0.43% of which call South Dakota home. That comes out to be exactly 5300 - making it the 40th most common occupation type in the state - although almost 3/4ths of states have more such reps than South Dakota. Although the pay is higher than the average in this field at $61,610 - South Dakota ranks 21st, just shy of the national median.

Laborers and Freight + Material Movers

In South Dakota, 4,420 laborers and freight/material movers make an average of $30,000 a year, leaving the state in the 38th rank. The national median for this role is just over $31,000, leaving South Dakota 2.5% worse off than the rest of the country.

But at least there is a bonus potential of 53%, which can push one’s pay up to nearly $45,000 a year. That’s nearly 7% higher than the median state of Montana, which pays $30,770 for the same role. If you’re hoping for more money, this may be the right track to pursue!