Diesel mechanic training in South Dakota
5 diesel mechanic programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free
3 schools offer these diesel mechanic programs, and South Dakota has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.
Diesel mechanics inspect and repair buses and trucks and maintain diesel engines of every kind. Community colleges and technical schools offer certificates and degrees in diesel repair, employers may require or prefer certification, and some jobs need a commercial driver's license to test-drive trucks and buses.1 Under federal rules, anyone paid to handle the refrigerant in a truck's cab air conditioning must be certified by an EPA-approved program.2
In South Dakota, 4 of the 5 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent and 1 asks for an associate degree.
By kind, the 5 programs here are diesel technology (associate degree, 4 programs) and medium and heavy truck technician (1 program).
See the 5 programsHow much does diesel mechanic training cost in South Dakota?
- Two-year degrees (4 programs)
- $16,073 to $18,876all 4 with a price
- Other diesel mechanic programs (1 program)
- $8,887the one with a price
What you pay yourself for the whole program, as the schools report it.
In the typical program
- Finished the program
- Not enough data
- 4 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
- Working 6 months later
- Left out
- South Dakota's rates sit far below every other state's
- Earned a year, estimated
- Not enough data
- 3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
- Length
- 64 to 68 weeks
Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in South Dakota may also offer diesel mechanic training. How these figures are made
All 5 diesel mechanic programs in South Dakota approved for WIOA funding
Filters
5 programs
Diesel Technology Ag/Industrial and Truck Options | AAS | Campus
Lake Area Technical College
Watertown
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$58,500Price if you pay yourself$16,073Program website, Diesel Technology Ag/Industrial and Truck Options | AAS | Campus at Lake Area Technical CollegeMore details about Diesel Technology Ag/Industrial and Truck Options | AAS | Campus at Lake Area Technical College
- Finished
- 86%
- Working at 6 months
- Left out
- Earned in a quarter
- $14,628
- Length
- 68 weeks, 27 hours a week
- Cost of supplies
- $1,465
- Students counted
- 393
- Earned a year, estimated
- $58,500
- Price if you pay yourself
- $16,073
Diesel Technology | AAS | Hybrid (66 credit hours)
Western Dakota Technical College
Rapid City
Accredited school
Associate's degree
Earned a year, estimated$57,300Price if you pay yourself$18,876Program website, Diesel Technology | AAS | Hybrid (66 credit hours) at Western Dakota Technical CollegeMore details about Diesel Technology | AAS | Hybrid (66 credit hours) at Western Dakota Technical College
- Finished
- 68%
- Working at 6 months
- Left out
- Earned in a quarter
- $14,313
- Length
- 64 weeks, 24 hours a week
- Cost of supplies
- $13,351
- Students counted
- 78
- Earned a year, estimated
- $57,300
- Price if you pay yourself
- $18,876
Diesel Technology: Trucking | Diploma | In-person
Southeast Technical College
Sioux Falls
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$39,500Price if you pay yourself$8,887Program website, Diesel Technology: Trucking | Diploma | In-person at Southeast Technical CollegeMore details about Diesel Technology: Trucking | Diploma | In-person at Southeast Technical College
- Finished
- 56%
- Working at 6 months
- Left out
- Earned in a quarter
- $9,881
- Length
- 64 weeks, 18 hours a week
- Cost of supplies
- $683
- Students counted
- 67
- Earned a year, estimated
- $39,500
- Price if you pay yourself
- $8,887
Diesel Technology DCAT ThinkBig Caterpillar | AAS | Campus
Lake Area Technical College
Watertown
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reportedPrice if you pay yourself$17,374Program website, Diesel Technology DCAT ThinkBig Caterpillar | AAS | Campus at Lake Area Technical CollegeMore details about Diesel Technology DCAT ThinkBig Caterpillar | AAS | Campus at Lake Area Technical College
- Finished
- 82%
- Working at 6 months
- Not reported
- Earned in a quarter
- Not reported
- Length
- 76 weeks, 34 hours a week
- Cost of supplies
- $9,250
- Students counted
- 47
- Earned a year, estimated
- Not reported
- Price if you pay yourself
- $17,374
Diesel Technology // Industrial Maintenance | AAS | Campus (64 credit hours)
Western Dakota Technical College
Rapid City
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reportedPrice if you pay yourself$18,304Program website, Diesel Technology // Industrial Maintenance | AAS | Campus (64 credit hours) at Western Dakota Technical CollegeMore details about Diesel Technology // Industrial Maintenance | AAS | Campus (64 credit hours) at Western Dakota Technical College
- Finished
- Not reported
- Working at 6 months
- Not reported
- Earned in a quarter
- Not reported
- Length
- 64 weeks, 25 hours a week
- Cost of supplies
- $13,589
- Students counted
- Not reported
- Earned a year, estimated
- Not reported
- Price if you pay yourself
- $18,304
No programs match these filters.
How to pay for diesel mechanic training in South Dakota
WIOA funding can pay for diesel mechanic training in South Dakota
Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?
Financial aid and grants for diesel mechanic training
Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.78
GI Bill for diesel mechanic training
Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.9
The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.
Quick facts: Diesel mechanic training in South Dakota
- lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
- 26th of 26
- diesel mechanic programs here, against the typical state's 8
- 5 vs 8
State comparisons use the same figures as the diesel mechanic training by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).
Diesel mechanic training in Watertown, Rapid City, Sioux Falls and other South Dakota cities
Choosing an area filters the program list above.
Other training in South Dakota
How diesel mechanic training compares with the rest of skilled trades: Trade school programs in South Dakota
- CDL training13 programs
- CNA classes2 programs
- Medical assistant training4 programs
- Phlebotomy training4 programs
- Welding classes15 programs
- HVAC training5 programs
- Medical billing and coding training11 programs
- LPN programs7 programs
- EMT classes6 programs
- Electrician training4 programs
- Dental assistant programs4 programs
- Auto mechanic classes3 programs
- Pharmacy technician training1 program
- Plumbing school4 programs
- CNC machinist training5 programs
- Carpentry classes1 program
- Heavy equipment operator training2 programs
- Cybersecurity training3 programs
- IT training13 programs
- Cosmetology school2 programs
- Barber school2 programs
- Surgical tech programs3 programs
- Culinary school1 program
- Human resources training4 programs
- Medication aide training1 program
- Industrial maintenance technician training5 programs
- Early childhood education programs1 program
- Hospitality management programs2 programs
- Community health worker training2 programs
- Coding and software development courses5 programs
- Lineman school2 programs
- Sonography school3 programs
- Administrative assistant training4 programs
- Medical lab technician programs4 programs
- AutoCAD and drafting courses1 program
- Digital marketing courses2 programs
- Web and graphic design courses1 program
- Health information technology programs1 program
- Vet tech programs1 program
- Home inspector training1 program
- Healthcare administration programs1 program
- Cardiovascular technology programs1 program
- Human services programs1 program
- Manufacturing technician training2 programs
- Electronics technician training3 programs
- Business administration programs9 programs
- Criminal justice programs4 programs
- Auto body repair classes3 programs
- Solar and wind technician training1 program
- Construction training programs7 programs
- Accounting and bookkeeping classes11 programs
- RN programs5 programs
Where the South Dakota diesel mechanic program numbers come from
Which South Dakota diesel mechanic programs are on this list?
These are the diesel mechanic programs South Dakota approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).10 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what South Dakota offers.
How the prices and results of South Dakota diesel mechanic programs are measured
Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.
How reliable are the South Dakota figures?
We leave out the share working 6 months later for South Dakota: its rates sit far below every other state's.
Sources for the facts about diesel mechanic training in South Dakota
Show the 10 sourcesHide the sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Diesel Service Technicians and Mechanics
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 40 CFR part 82, subpart B, Servicing of motor vehicle air conditioners
- US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
- US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
- Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
- US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
- US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
- US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
- US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
- US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List