South Dakota Energy Efficiency jobs: 7,898 employed (2024)
As of the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, South Dakota employs 7,898 people in the energy efficiency sector — about 0.3% of the U.S. total. That makes South Dakota the 45th-largest state for energy efficiency jobs nationwide.
Energy Efficiency Jobs in South Dakota (2024)
National share: 0.33% of all U.S. energy efficiency jobs.
Typical Median Wage
1. Employment Landscape
South Dakota ranks 45th out of 51 U.S. states in energy efficiency employment. At 7,898 workers, the state sits below the 25th-ranked Alabama’s tally by 23,652 jobs, and trails the national leader California by 304,192 energy efficiency workers.
1.1 South Dakota’s position vs. the top 10 and median states
1.2 Share of U.S. total
The energy efficiency sector nationwide employs roughly 2,381,744 workers; South Dakota accounts for 7,898 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 energy efficiency-related sub-category reported for South Dakota in the USEER workbook, ranked by employment.
2. Pay & Career Roles in South Dakota
South Dakota contributes 0.33% of the nation’s energy efficiency workforce. Within South Dakota’s own clean-energy economy, energy efficiency accounts for 70.0% of total clean-energy jobs (7,898 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 energy efficiency roles in South Dakota is shown alongside the national BLS figure.
| Role | National median | South Dakota-adjusted | Job Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Engineer | $103,940 | $93,234 | 4 |
| Energy Auditor | $71,400 | $64,046 | 3 |
| Weatherization Installer & Technician | $50,560 | $45,352 | 2 |
See all 3 energy efficiency 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.