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 %
Syria 2 $126,661 66.67%
Nicaragua 2 $46,020 66.67%
Portugal 1 $39,603 33.33%
Cameroon 1 $56,500 50.00%
Kenya 1 $133,016 50.00%
Antigua And Barbuda 1 $208,000 50.00%
Switzerland 1 $26,146 50.00%
Israel 1 $42,328 50.00%
Afghanistan 1 $51,418 50.00%
Belgium 1 $68,349 50.00%

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 %
Full Service Restaurants 11 $27,656 61.11%
Casino Hotels 11 $21,309 64.71%
Oilseed And Grain Farming 10 $33,405 66.67%
Hog And Pig Farming 10 $47,426 90.91%
Beef Cattle Ranching And Farming 9 $37,911 81.82%
Geophysical Surveying And Mapping Services 8 $56,005 72.73%
Computer Systems Design Services 8 $54,488 72.73%
Hotels Except Casino Hotels And Motels 8 $21,752 80.00%
Other Grain Farming 6 $30,933 60.00%
Prefabricated Wood Building Manufacturing 6 $48,270 66.67%

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