Ground Transportation programs in South Dakota
3 schools in South Dakota teach this, at certificate or associate level. 1 of them reports what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $45,852 at Lake Area Technical College.
What this work pays in South Dakota
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in South Dakota earn a median of $58,690 a year across 6,470 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.
| Also leads to | Median | Jobs in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Light Truck Drivers | $43,240 | 4,820 |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $59,500 | 2,050 |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | $47,410 | 1,940 |
| Highway Maintenance Workers | $48,610 | 1,800 |
| Bus Drivers, School | $39,730 | 1,290 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Area Technical College Watertown | Associate's degree | — | $45,852 (18 grads) | 8 |
| Lake Area Technical College Watertown | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 12 |
| Mitchell Technical College Mitchell | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.
Email me when these figures change
The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Ground Transportation — nothing else, and nothing in between.
Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.