H-2A Jobs in South Dakota (FY2026): Employers & Wages
In FY2026 (through Q2), the Department of Labor certified 2,503 H-2A positions for worksites in South Dakota — #22 among all states — across 484 employer applications. The median offered wage was $17.48/hour (middle half of offers: $17.48–$17.48).
Hiring season
77% of certified positions in South Dakota start in March, February or April, and a typical season runs about 9 months. Employers file with the DOL a median of 63 days before the start date — so openings for a March start typically show up on SeasonalJobs.dol.gov around January.
Top H-2A employers in South Dakota
| Employer | Worksite city | Positions | Median wage | Main occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverview LLP | Veblen | 116 | $13.19/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| BW Farm Labor Inc. | Hudson | 90 | $13.19/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| SBH Ag Services, Inc. | Gann Valley | 79 | $16.31/hr | Construction Laborers |
| Demaray Harvesting & Trucking LLC | Columbia | 73 | $18.52/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| R&R Christo Construction, LLC | Hazel | 52 | $20.46/hr | Construction Laborers |
| GISI PHEASANT FARM, LLC | Ipswich | 44 | $18.34/hr | Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals |
| United Development Management Company LLC | Summit | 40 | $16.31/hr | Construction Laborers |
| Van Kooten Ag Service, Inc. | Volga | 35 | $19.21/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| Dan & Jerry's Greenhouses, LLC | Madison | 35 | $16.5/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Jeff Paplow Harvesting, LLC | Roscoe | 35 | $17.48/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| JNJ Construction Inc. | Carthage | 32 | $16.31/hr | Construction Laborers |
| Burnham Bros | Winner | 27 | $18.34/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| Deadwood Trail Farms LLC | Fort Pierre | 27 | $17.48/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| Cody Hoffman | Reliance | 26 | $20.66/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| Maurer Harvesting and Trucking | Ipswich | 26 | $17.48/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| Kirk Aughenbaugh- Agriculture | Iroquois | 25 | $13.19/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| Alewelt Concrete Inc. | Roscoe | 24 | $20/hr | Construction Laborers |
| Zubke Farms General Partnership | Milbank | 19 | $17.48/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| Lindskov Ranch | Isabel | 18 | $17.48/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| Swenson Partnership | Wessington Springs | 18 | $17.48/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| Signet Farm Services LLC | Corsica | 18 | $20.46/hr | Construction Laborers |
| Ymker Greenhouse | Armour | 17 | $17.48/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Landbrooke Farming, LLC | Baltic | 16 | $15.08/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| Ag Installers, Inc. | Corsica | 16 | $19.06/hr | Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other |
| Hoffman Harvesting | Bowdle | 16 | $13.19/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
What the jobs are
| Occupation | Positions |
|---|---|
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 1,534 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 321 |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 309 |
| Construction Laborers | 264 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 31 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other | 16 |
| Fence Erectors | 13 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 3 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operator | 3 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 3 |
Where: Bryant (121) · Roscoe (112) · Hudson (90) · Ipswich (80) · Columbia (73) · Pierre (67) · Gettysburg (53) · Volga (53).
How people get these jobs
The H-2A visa lets U.S. employers hire foreign workers for temporary agricultural work — planting, harvesting, packing, nursery and greenhouse work, livestock and dairy. The employer, not the worker, starts the process: they must first offer the job to U.S. workers, get the Department of Labor certification shown on this page, and then petition USCIS for the visas.
Every certified opening must be posted publicly on the DOL's official registry, SeasonalJobs.dol.gov — that is the place to search and apply for current openings. Beware of anyone charging workers "visa fees": recruitment fees charged to H-2A workers are illegal.
More South Dakota numbers
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