South Dakota · home health aide (HHA)

Home Health Aide Training in South Dakota

How to become a home health aide in South Dakota: the routes that qualify you, who regulates home health agencies in South Dakota, pay, free training options, and all 95 state-approved CNA programs, since a CNA certification also qualifies you as a home health aide.

$18.15median hourly pay for South Dakota home health and personal care aides

75 hrsminimum home health aide training under federal rules

95state-approved CNA programs listed below

4,210home health and personal care aides working in South Dakota

Your route

Two ways to qualify as a home health aide in South Dakota

Home health agencies in South Dakota are licensed by the South Dakota Department of Health. Medicare and Medicaid agencies must use aides who completed one of the federally approved routes. These are the two most common.

Fastest route

Become a CNA first

CNA

Finish a state-approved CNA program (listed below) and pass the state exam.
Under federal rules, a CNA in good standing on the state registry qualifies as a home health aide for Medicare and Medicaid agencies.
It also lets you work in nursing homes, where South Dakota CNAs earn a median $18.65 an hour.

Agency route

Home health aide training

75 hrs

At least 75 hours, including 16 hours of supervised hands-on practice.
Often run by home health agencies, which may train you if they hire you.
Then pass a competency evaluation given by a registered nurse.

Why we list CNA programs: under federal rules, a state-approved CNA program plus good standing on the South Dakota nurse aide registry qualifies you as a home health aide. It’s the route that opens the most doors. See our South Dakota CNA guide.

The steps

How to become a home health aide in South Dakota

The general path for most new aides.

Pick your routeCNA training if you want the most options, or a home health aide course through an agency.
Complete the trainingAt least 75 hours with 16 hands-on, or your state’s CNA hours.
Pass the evaluationA competency evaluation for aides, or the state CNA exam.
Apply to agenciesAgencies check your training and, for CNAs, the state registry before you start.

Keep your hours up. Federal rules require at least 12 hours of in-service training a year, and if you go 24 months in a row without paid aide work, you must retrain.

Home health aide vs. CNA

Home health aide or CNA in South Dakota?

The two jobs overlap, but the settings and pay differ.

	Home health aide	CNA
Where you work	Clients’ homes, through home health and hospice agencies	Nursing homes and hospitals
Training	75 hours federal minimum, or a CNA certification	State-approved CNA program
Official record	Your agency’s training and competency records	The South Dakota nurse aide registry
Median pay (SD)	$18.15 an hour*	$18.65 an hour

*Federal pay data groups home health aides with personal care aides. About 4,210 of them work in South Dakota.

Help paying

Free and funded training in South Dakota

Ways to cover the cost of training.

Get hired first

Many home health agencies train aides they hire, and nursing homes that hire you can’t charge you for CNA training under federal rules.

Grants and Job Corps

SD Department of Labor (WIOA): Through WIOA, your local Job Service office can help pay for training if you're unemployed, laid off, or low-income. dlr.sd.gov

State-approved CNA programs in South Dakota

All 95 programs from our South Dakota CNA guide. Finishing one, passing the exam, and staying in good standing on the state registry also qualifies you as a home health aide for Medicare and Medicaid agencies.

95 programs

Program	City	County	Phone
Aberdeen Health & Rehabilitation	Aberdeen	Brown	(605) 225-7315
Angelhaus Aberdeen North and South	Aberdeen	Brown	(605) 725-7777
Angelhaus East & West Yankton	Yankton	Yankton	(605) 665-7255
Aspen Grove Assisted Living	Sturgis	Meade	(605) 670-0263
Aurora Brule Nursing Home	White Lake	Aurora	(605) 249-2216
Avantara Arrowhead	Rapid City	Pennington	(605) 343-5771
Avantara Huron	Huron	Beadle	(605) 352-8471
Avantara Mountain View	Rapid City	Pennington	(605) 343-8577
Avantara North	Rapid City	Pennington	(605) 343-4958
Avantara Norton	Sioux Falls	Minnehaha	(605) 338-9891
Avantara of Watertown	Watertown	Codington	(605) 886-8431
Avantara Pierre	Pierre	Hughes	(605) 224-8628
Avantara Redfield	Redfield	Spink	(605) 472-2288
Avantara St. Cloud	Rapid City	Pennington	(605) 343-4738
Avera at Home	Milbank	Grant	(605) 432-3259
Avera Bormann Manor	Parkston	Hutchinson	(605) 928-3384
Avera Brady Health & Rehab	Mitchell	Davison	(605) 996-7701
Avera CNA Education & Staffing Online Training	Yankton	Yankton	(605) 668-8475
Avera Eureka Health Care Center	Eureka	McPherson	(605) 284-2145
Avera Maryhouse	Pierre	Hughes	(605) 224-3163
Avera Mother Joseph Manor	Aberdeen	Brown	(605) 622-5850
Avera Oahe Manor	Gettysburg	Potter	(605) 765-2461
Avera Prince of Peace	Sioux Falls	Minnehaha	(605) 322-5604
Avera Rosebud Country Care	Gregory	Gregory	(605) 835-8296
Avera Sister James Care Center	Yankton	Yankton	(605) 668-8816
Bethany Home Brandon	Brandon	Minnehaha	(605) 582-5200
Bethany Home Sioux Falls	Sioux Falls	Minnehaha	(605) 338-2351
Bethel Lutheran Home	Madison	Lake	(605) 256-4539
Bethesda Home (Webster)	Webster	Day	(605) 345-3331
Bethesda Home of Aberdeen	Aberdeen	Brown	(605) 225-7580
Bethesda of Beresford	Beresford	Union	(605) 763-4652
Bowdle Healthcare	Bowdle	Edmunds	(605) 285-6391
Centerville Care & Rehab	Centerville	Turner	(605) 563-2251
Clarkson Health Care	Rapid City	Pennington	(605) 342-0255
Community Memorial Hospital	Burke	Gregory	(605) 775-2754
Dells Nursing and Rehab	Dell Rapids	Minnehaha	(605) 428-5478
Diamond Care Center	Bridgewater	McCook	(605) 729-2525
Dow Rummel Village	Sioux Falls	Minnehaha	(605) 336-1490
Eastern Star Home	Redfield	Spink	(605) 472-2255
Estelline Nursing & Care Center	Estelline	Hamlin	(605) 873-2278
Fall River Health Services	Hot Springs	Fall River	(605) 745-8910
Faulkton Senior Living	Faulkton	Faulk	(605) 598-6214
Firesteel Healthcare Center	Mitchell	Davison	(605) 996-6526
Five Counties Nursing Home	Lemmon	Perkins	(605) 374-3871
Fountain Springs Healthcare	Rapid City	Pennington	(605) 670-0263
Grand Living at Lake Lorraine	Sioux Falls	Minnehaha	(605) 799-1900
Highmore Health	Highmore	Hyde	(605) 852-2255
Independent Health Solutions	Huron	Beadle	(605) 352-4663
Jenkins Living Center	Watertown	Codington	(605) 886-0790
Kadoka Nursing Home	Kadoka	Jackson	(605) 837-2270
Lake Andes Senior Living	Lake Andes	Charles Mix	(605) 487-7674
Lake Area Technical Institute	Watertown	Codington	(605) 882-5284
Medicine Wheel Village	Eagle Butte	Dewey	(605) 964-8155
Menno-Olivet Care Center	Menno	Hutchinson	(605) 387-5139
Michael J. Fitzmaurice SD Veterans Home	Hot Springs	Fall River	(605) 745-5127
Milbank Area Hospital Avera	Milbank	Grant	(605) 432-4538
Monument Health Community CNA Program	Rapid City	Pennington	(605) 755-7127
Monument Health System	Rapid City	Pennington	(605) 755-7755
Mother of God Monastery	Watertown	Codington	(605) 882-6610
Neighborhoods at Brookview	Brookings	Brookings	(605) 696-8700
Oakview Terrace	Freeman	Hutchinson	(605) 925-4000
Palisade Healthcare Center	Garretson	Minnehaha	(605) 670-0263
Peaceful Pines Senior Living	Rapid City	Pennington	(605) 718-0542
Philip Health Services	Philip	Haakon	(605) 859-2511
Pioneer Memorial Assisted Living	Viborg	Turner	(605) 326-3026
Platte Care Center Avera	Platte	Charles Mix	(605) 337-3131
Prairie Estates Care Center	Elk Point	Union	(605) 356-2622
Prairie Heights Healthcare	Aberdeen	Brown	(605) 225-2550
Prairie View Healthcare Center	Woonsocket	Sanborn	(605) 670-0263
Riverview Healthcare Center	Flandreau	Moody	(605) 670-0263
Rolling Hills Healthcare	Belle Fourche	Butte	(605) 723-8901
Sandstone Senior Living	Spearfish	Lawrence	(605) 642-4910
Sanford Health Nursing Assistant Training Program	Sioux Falls	Minnehaha	(605) 312-9227
Silver Plains Assisted Living	Lake Preston	Kingsbury	(605) 847-4800
Sinte Gleska University	Mission	Todd	(605) 856-8284
Sisseton Wahpeton College	Sisseton	Roberts	(605) 698-3966
South Dakota Human Services Center	Yankton	Yankton	(605) 668-3100
Southeast Technical Institute	Sioux Falls	Minnehaha	(605) 367-5795
Spearfish Canyon Healthcare	Spearfish	Lawrence	(605) 642-2716
St. William's Care Center	Milbank	Grant	(605) 432-5811
Sun Dial Manor	Bristol	Day	(605) 492-3615
Sunset Manor Avera	Irene	Clay	(605) 263-3318
Tekakwitha Living Center	Sisseton	Roberts	(605) 698-7693
The Village at Skyline Pines	Rapid City	Pennington	(605) 791-5111
Tieszen Memorial Home	Marion	Turner	(605) 648-3611
United Living Community	Brookings	Brookings	(605) 696-7519
VA Black Hills Health Care System	Fort Meade	Meade	(605) 347-2511
Wakonda Heritage Manor	Wakonda	Clay	(605) 267-2081
Walworth County Care Center	Selby	Walworth	(605) 649-7663
Weskota Manor Avera	Wessington Springs	Jerauld	(605) 539-1621
Westhills Village	Rapid City	Pennington	(605) 342-0255
Wheatcrest Hills Healthcare Center	Britton	Marshall	(605) 670-0263
White River Health Care Center	White River	Mellette	(605) 259-3161
Wilmot Care Center	Wilmot	Roberts	(605) 938-4418
Winner Regional Healthcare Center	Winner	Tripp	(605) 842-7150

Tip: ask each program whether it also offers a home health aide add-on. For details, costs, and exam steps, see our South Dakota CNA guide.

South Dakota CNA trainingSteps, costs, and every approved program CNA classes near meSearch programs by ZIP code Caregiver pay by stateCNA and aide pay compared

FAQ

South Dakota home health aide questions

Short answers to what people ask most.

Does South Dakota certify home health aides?

Home health aides in South Dakota work for home health agencies licensed by the South Dakota Department of Health. Medicare and Medicaid agencies must hire aides who meet the federal training and competency rules. Ask the agency you're applying to which credential it requires.

How do I become a home health aide in South Dakota?

The two most common routes are completing a 75-hour home health aide training and competency evaluation, or becoming a CNA. Federal rules count a CNA in good standing on the South Dakota nurse aide registry as a qualified home health aide.

How much do home health aides make in South Dakota?

The median pay for home health and personal care aides in South Dakota is $18.15 an hour, about $37,740 a year, based on the May 2025 federal wage survey. South Dakota CNAs earn a median $18.65 an hour.

Can a CNA work as a home health aide?

Yes, for Medicare and Medicaid home health agencies, if the CNA completed a state-approved program and is listed in good standing on the state nurse aide registry.

Do home health aides need yearly training?

Yes. Federal rules require at least 12 hours of in-service training every 12 months for aides at Medicare and Medicaid agencies.

Sources: South Dakota Department of Health; our South Dakota CNA guide (state-approved program list); 42 CFR 484.80, Home health aide services; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Last checked October 2026. See something out of date? Report a correction.