On the Fast Track
Justin Benson, Engineer
Masaba Mining
Justin Benson, a Hurley, South Dakota native, is currently on the fast track to the good life working as an Engineer at Masaba Mining Equipment in Vermillion. But like others his age, Benson thought his opportunity for a fulfilling career would be outside of the state's borders. So after receiving his engineering degree at South Dakota State University, Benson took an out of state job.
"I left the state because I wanted a career that I could grow in and one that would be economically rewarding," says Benson. But after only two years, Benson discovered that those "out-of-state" opportunities weren't all they were cracked up to be. So he used the Dakota Roots program to find a job and return to South Dakota.
"The biggest surprise about moving back was the compensation that I'm receiving. I always thought, and everyone I've talked to always told me, that South Dakota pay is much lower than anywhere else," added Benson. "I was very, very surprised when I came back that I'm getting paid significantly more than I was working out of state."
And now that Benson is working at a growing South Dakota company, he's looking forward to having a long and fulfilling career. He's also taking advantage of the quality of life, recreation opportunities and low cost of living that makes South Dakota a place where you can live the good life.
