South Dakota Electric Vehicles jobs: 327 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, South Dakota employs 327 people in the electric vehicles sector — about 0.2% of the U.S. total. That makes South Dakota the 40th-largest state for electric vehicles jobs nationwide.
Electric Vehicles Jobs in South Dakota (2024)
National share: 0.22% of all U.S. electric vehicles jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
South Dakota ranks 40th out of 51 U.S. states in electric vehicles employment. At 327 workers, the state sits below the 25th-ranked Oregon’s tally by 785 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 48,638 electric vehicles workers.
1.1 South Dakota’s position vs. the top 10 and median states
1.2 Share of U.S. total
The electric vehicles sector nationwide employs roughly 148,277 workers; South Dakota accounts for 327 of them.
1.3 Where South Dakota sits in its own mix
| Sector | Jobs (2024) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | 7,898 | #45 |
| Wind | 1,831 | #18 |
| Solar | 743 | #46 |
| Storage & Grid | 340 | #43 |
| Electric Vehicles | 327 | #40 |
| Clean Fuels | 79 | #43 |
| Hydropower | 65 | #48 |
1.4 Sub-sector breakdown in South Dakota
Every electric vehicles-related sub-category reported for South Dakota in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in South Dakota
South Dakota contributes 0.22% of the nation’s electric vehicles workforce. Within South Dakota’s own clean-energy economy, electric vehicles accounts for 2.9% of total clean-energy jobs (327 of 11,282 workers).
Cost-of-living in South Dakota is roughly 10.3% lower the U.S. average, so the state-adjusted median wage for electric vehicles roles in South Dakota is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | South Dakota-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering Technician (EV) | $66,940 | $60,045 | 3 |
| Automotive Service Technician (EV) | $47,770 | $42,850 | 3 |
See all 2 electric vehicles occupations with national wages and skills →
4. Hiring Difficulty & Industry Mix
South Dakota employers rate 14.7% of clean-energy hires as “very difficult” (plus 29.0% as “somewhat difficult”) — easier than the ~22% national baseline. Combined, 43.7% of South Dakota’s clean-energy roles see some level of hiring friction.
4.1 Employer hiring difficulty
4.2 Jobs by NAICS industry group
| Industry (NAICS group) | Jobs (2024) |
|---|---|
| Construction | 9,080 |
| Manufacturing | 5,860 |
| Trade | 5,444 |
| Other Services | 3,922 |
| Utilities | 2,008 |
| Professional Services | 1,638 |
| Pipeline Transport & Commodity Flows | 955 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 622 |
| Mining and Extraction | 65 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Data source: U.S. Department of Energy — 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report (reflecting 2024 employment); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics; O*NET Occupation Database 29.1.
Last updated: April 2026.