We now have Quarter 4 H1B visa FY 2023 data and Quarter 4 PERM visa FY 2023 data and Quarter 4 H2A visa FY 2023 data.
Employer Search tool is moved to it's own page: "H1B Visa Data Search Tool"

South Dakota Foreign Labor Visa Stats (All Years)

Total Visas % of all Visas Average Wage Visa Type
3,930 49.46% $71,841 H-1B
3,166 39.84% $31,156 H-2A
815 10.26% $51,076 PERM
35 0.44% $50,361 E-3 Australian

As of May 2023, South Dakota has seen a total of 7,946 visa workers across all visa types. The most common visa class in South Dakota is the H-1B visa with 3,930 H-1B visas on record over all years accounting for 49.46% of South Dakota's total visas. The second most prevalent visa is the H-2A visa with 3,166 H-2A visas on record over all years accounting for 39.84% of South Dakota's total visas.

Top Occupations in South Dakota (All Years)

Occupation # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
Computer Programmers 352 $49,663 94.88%
Computer Systems Analysts 295 $61,294 92.77%
Software Developers, Applications 244 $69,206 91.73%
Physicians and Surgeons, All Other 225 $170,122 89.29%
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 188 $40,336 90.38%
Internists, General 113 $148,100 83.09%
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists 110 $51,610 93.22%
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists 102 $44,848 91.89%
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary 73 $63,190 79.35%
Computer Occupations, All Other 73 $66,202 93.59%
Occupation # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
Packers and Packagers, Hand 278 $20,507 99.29%
Slaughterers and Meat Packers 89 $29,619 63.12%
Physicians and Surgeons, All Other 56 $164,133 43.41%
Animal Scientists 52 $44,083 47.27%
Internists, General 49 $126,786 53.26%
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 15 $21,004 22.06%
Agricultural Equipment Operators 13 $36,154 36.11%
Software Developers, Applications 13 $62,643 41.94%
First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers 11 $45,202 40.74%
Pediatricians, General 11 $135,750 73.33%
South Dakota Employees Over Time
South Dakota has been in the H1B Visa program since 2011 where 259 employees were hired. South Dakota peaked in 2024 with 462 employees, and has since been on a decline with the most recent number of employees being 74 in 2025.

Top Countries with Workers in South Dakota From PERM Program (All Years)

Country # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
Mongolia 17 $27,794 42.50%
Philippines 16 $58,873 50.00%
Canada 15 $98,088 50.00%
Honduras 14 $43,860 63.64%
Thailand 13 $64,390 59.09%
Pakistan 12 $109,559 75.00%
Nigeria 12 $70,770 80.00%
China 10 $51,642 66.67%
Colombia 5 $35,643 45.45%
Ukraine 5 $39,487 71.43%

Top Hiring Companies in South Dakota (All Years)

Company # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
Grohs Farm Partnership 4 $34,081 100.00%
Van Kooten Ag Service 4 $28,990 100.00%
Bobs Custom Meats 4 $30,706 100.00%
Horning Farms Inc 4 $36,114 100.00%
Yackley Partnership 4 $35,667 100.00%
Three M Farms Llc 4 $25,553 100.00%
Rocking Z Acres Llc 4 $28,480 100.00%
Daly Brothers Llc 4 $35,365 100.00%
Scott And Janet Dowling 4 $26,489 100.00%
Cornerstone Industries Construction Services Llc 4 $35,365 100.00%
Company # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %

Top Industries in South Dakota (All Years)

Industry # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
Medical Laboratories 1 $36,100 50.00%
Marinas 1 $26,146 50.00%
Other Activities Related To Credit Intermediation 1 $151,819 50.00%
Cattle Ranching And Farming 1 $31,242 100.00%
Communications Equipment Manufacturing 1 $51,418 100.00%
Fur Bearing Animal And Rabbit Production 1 $27,726 100.00%

South Dakota Wage Comparison to Other States (All Years)

The chart below compares The average wage in South Dakota to that of the top 9 states with the highest overall average H1-B wage. The average wage in South Dakota over all years is $71,841. The state with the highest average wage of H1-B workers for all states is CA with an average wage of $104,510.

State Avg Wage