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%
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 %
Vietnam 84 $24,503 50.00%
Brazil 65 $32,278 41.40%
Mexico 61 $42,356 42.36%
Burma (myanmar) 45 $20,361 39.47%
India 39 $119,488 56.52%
Cambodia 29 $23,767 52.73%
Nepal 29 $62,139 52.73%
Bangladesh 29 $29,916 53.70%
South Africa 24 $33,443 52.17%
South Korea 24 $44,885 60.00%

Top Hiring Companies in South Dakota (All Years)

Company # of Jobs Avg Wage Approval %
Tata Consultancy Services Limited 450 $52,236 98.90%
South Dakota State University 274 $50,332 79.88%
Sanford Clinic 269 $161,460 89.37%
Avera Mckennan 214 $125,359 92.64%
Sioux Falls School District 49 5 160 $41,876 90.40%
My3tech Inc 113 $64,024 76.87%
University Of South Dakota 106 $52,123 89.08%
South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology 87 $60,911 81.31%
Sanford School Of Medicine Of The University Of South Dakota Residency 86 $48,518 92.47%
Sanford Health 75 $61,349 93.75%

Top Industries in South Dakota (All Years)

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