Software Engineering Talent: Supply vs Demand in South Dakota.
0.23% of US computer science grads come from South Dakota each year. Discover where most of them come from, and their job prospects. Identify emerging talent hubs, in-demand skills, and salary progression patterns.
Compare South Dakota with another state
Where are South Dakota computer science grads coming from?
Top cities producing the most CS grads
Madison, Sioux Falls and Brookings produced the highest number of CS grads. This represents 71.57% of the total CS grads from South Dakota.
Uncover other talent hubs with this interactive map.
Curious how this data compares to another state?
Use our comparison tool below.
Top institutions producing the most CS grads
South Dakota produces 313 of CS grads each year.
We've identified the top institutions supplying the highest number of future software engineers. Dakota State University came out on top, with 104 CS grads. This represents 33.23% of total grads in South Dakota.
Whether you're an employer recruiting rising tech talent or a student planning your academic career, these are definitely the schools to watch.
In-demand skills & job market outlook for South Dakota.
Top South Dakota cities with the highest number of job opportunities
Explore the South Dakota cities with the highest number of software engineering jobs.
28.55% of all job postings in South Dakota come from Sioux Falls.
Most in-demand technical skills
Learning in-demand programming languages and technologies is essential for staying ahead of the curve in a competitive job market.
Here are the most sought-after skills in South Dakota. Java was most in-demand, mentioned in 26.1% of the software engineering job postings we analyzed.
Average salary and job availability by education level
We analyzed 3,671 job postings in South Dakota.
Here's an overview of how many jobs are available at each education level, and the mean salary.
Salaries by seniority in South Dakota
Earning potential is an essential factor to consider when laying the groundwork for a career in software engineering.
This chart shows the median salaries for software engineers at different stages of their career.
While an entry-level software engineer in South Dakota can expect to earn $78,000, that figure jumps to $161,200 for senior tech talent, representing a 106.7% increase.
Additional info about South Dakota's talent landscape.
- Fintech Frontier: South Dakota's favorable regulatory environment for financial services has attracted some banks and credit card companies. Software engineers may find opportunities to develop payment processing systems, improve cybersecurity for financial institutions, and create tools for credit risk assessment.
- Precision Agriculture Powerhouse: South Dakota's significant agricultural sector is increasingly adopting technology. Developers can develop new crop monitoring systems, yield prediction models, and IoT networks to support smart farming operations across the state's farmlands.
- Telehealth for Rural Communities: The state's rural nature is driving interest in telehealth solutions. Software professionals can contribute to telemedicine platforms, develop tools to assist with remote diagnostics, and create secure systems for managing patient data across long distances.
- Renewable Energy Software: As South Dakota continues to develop its wind energy resources, there's a growing need for energy management software. Software engineers may work on systems for wind farm operations, basic grid management, and maintenance scheduling for turbines.
- Data Center Innovation: South Dakota's cool climate and relatively low energy costs have attracted some data centers. This creates opportunities for software developers to work on cooling system management, energy efficiency solutions, and data processing tools, though the scale may be smaller compared to major tech hubs.
Compare South Dakota with another state.
Where are the most promising opportunities? Find out how different hubs compare in terms of job availability, cost of living, and earning potential.
*Calculated based on US average of 100. Numbers higher than 100 relate to a higher cost of living.
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