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Students training in a aviation maint. program

Career Training PathAviation maintenance (A&P) schools › South Dakota

Aviation maintenance (A&P) schools in South Dakota

South Dakota has 1 accredited campuses awarding aviation maint. credentials. If you finish and work as an aircraft mechanic in South Dakota, expect to start around $51,160–$63,900 and reach a median of $75,750 with experience; the top quarter earn $83,080 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, South Dakota). Graduates of these South Dakota programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $41,649 in their first year, against $41,628 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.

What aircraft mechanics and service technicians earn in South Dakota

$51,160starting (10th percentile)
$63,900early career (25th)
$75,750median, all experience
$83,080experienced (75th)
$89,360top earners (90th)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 150 employed in South Dakota. National median: $79,870.

Campuses in South Dakota, ranked by what their graduates earned

1campuses in South Dakota
8credentials awarded / yr
$41,649median earnings, yr 1 (South Dakota)
$41,628median earnings, yr 1 (U.S.)

Cities: Watertown

CampusCityTypeGrads / yrEarnings, yr 1Program debtCompletionCost / yr
Lake Area Technical College Watertown Public 8 $41,649 $12,000 73% not reported

Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.

Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.

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