South Dakota · Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians

Best colleges for Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians in South Dakota

Ranked by graduate earnings

Lake Area Technical College, Southeast Technical College and Western Dakota Technical College are the top Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians programs in South Dakota by graduate earnings. Lake Area Technical College leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $47,080, College Scorecard. Lake Area Technical College, Southeast Technical College and Western Dakota Technical College award the most Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians degrees and certificates in South Dakota: 159, 54 and 32 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 5 South Dakota colleges offer Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians and award 266 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians program prepares students for a career in the automotive industry, focusing on the skills needed to diagnose and repair various vehicle systems. This program is ideal for…

Institutions
5
offering CIP 47.06
States & territories
54
with a program page
Degrees / yr
266
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$44,032
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
4
College Scorecard
Median net price
—
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
54%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians
$48,400
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 4 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Lake Area Technical College
Watertown Public · Associate degree
$47,08015973%—$12,000
2Southeast Technical College
Sioux Falls Public · Associate degree
$46,2625459%—$12,000
3Western Dakota Technical College
Rapid City Public · Associate degree
$38,0313254%—$15,125
4Mitchell Technical College
Mitchell Public · Associate degree Small program
$44,0321976%——

Colleges awarding the most Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians degrees in South Dakota

Top 4 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Lake Area Technical College
Watertown Public
159$47,080
2Southeast Technical College
Sioux Falls Public
54$46,262
3Western Dakota Technical College
Rapid City Public
32$38,031
4Mitchell Technical College
Mitchell Public
19$44,032
Show the other 1 South Dakota colleges offering Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Oglala Lakota CollegeKylePublic2

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians (SOC 49-3092).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+11.5%
Much faster than average
Openings / yr (US)
~2,800
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$50,540
typically High school diploma or equivalent

Top skills

Critical ThinkingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionSpeakingActive LearningMonitoring

What Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians earn in South Dakota

Jobs in South Dakota
30
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$48,400
median $39,820
Best-paying metro
—

Related careers

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
$55,660 avg · 2,010 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
$82,680 avg · 1,750 jobs
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
$59,480 avg · 1,340 jobs
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
$49,640 avg · 1,150 jobs
Automotive Body and Related Repairers
$55,280 avg · 800 jobs
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers
$44,630 avg · 550 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians programs in South Dakota.

Which South Dakota colleges award the most Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians degrees?+

Lake Area Technical College (159 graduates a year), Southeast Technical College (54 graduates a year) and Western Dakota Technical College (32 graduates a year) award the most Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians degrees and certificates in South Dakota, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 5 South Dakota colleges offer Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians.

What is the best college for Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians in South Dakota?+

By graduate earnings, Lake Area Technical College leads among Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians programs in South Dakota, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $47,080, College Scorecard. Southeast Technical College and Western Dakota Technical College follow. By degrees awarded, Lake Area Technical College is the largest, with 159 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians program in South Dakota has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Lake Area Technical College tops the list at $47,080. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians earn in South Dakota?+

The average annual wage for Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians in South Dakota is $48,400 (median $39,820), across about 30 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians program?+

The Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians program prepares students for a career in the automotive industry, focusing on the skills needed to diagnose and repair various vehicle systems. This program is ideal for…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop critical thinking, active listening, reading comprehension, speaking, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians?+

The national job outlook is about +11.5% growth with around 2,800 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians in other statesNorth DakotaHawaiiNebraskaNew MexicoUtahVermontIllinoisIndiana

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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