WELD · SD

Welding Schools in South Dakota

3 schools in South Dakota reported welding graduates for 2023-24, 125 awards in all. Sorted by number of graduates.

Lake Area Technical College

1201 Arrow Ave, Watertown, SD · Public, 2-year

WELD 55
DSL 92
HEO 29
BODY 26
AUTO 24
A&P 17
CNST 12
CNC 9

Grads 2023-24: 55 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $7,622
Median pay 1 yr out: $52,506 associate degree

Southeast Technical College

2320 N Career Ave, Sioux Falls, SD · Public, 2-year

WELD 45
ELEC 27
HVAC 25
AUTO 24
BODY 13
DSL 10
PLMB 6

Grads 2023-24: 45 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $8,365
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $51,280

Western Dakota Technical College

800 Mickelson Dr, Rapid City, SD · Public, 2-year

WELD 25
ELEC 19
DSL 12
AUTO 9
CNC 7
HVAC 5
PLMB 3
CNST 2

Grads 2023-24: 25 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $8,526
Median pay 1 yr out: $43,004 associate degree

Licensing in South Dakota

Requirements are set by South Dakota (and sometimes your city), not by the school. Look up the current rules for welders on CareerOneStop's License Finder for South Dakota. General path: Welding Schools overview.

BLS puts the median annual wage for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in South Dakota at $49,440 (middle 80% from $38,100 to $63,380), May 2025. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Questions, answered from the data

How many welding schools are there in South Dakota?

3 schools in South Dakota reported welding graduates to the Department of Education for 2023-24, 125 awards in all (90 undergraduate certificates, 35 associate degrees).

How much does welding school cost in South Dakota?

At schools that price by program, public two-year colleges teaching it charge a median $8,365 a year in-state (2025-26). Grants and aid lower what most students pay.

How much does a welder make in South Dakota?

The BLS median annual wage for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in South Dakota was $49,440 in May 2025; the lowest-paid 10% earned under $38,100 and the top 10% over $63,380.

All trade schools in South Dakota

Sources: IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Directory (HD2024), NCES; College Scorecard institution data (2025-26 charges, released Nov 2, 2026) and field-of-study data (Oct 15, 2026); FMCSA Training Provider Registry (as of 2026-11-02); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked 2026-11-02. How we build this list.