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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a associate's degree in Precision Metal Working worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 74 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff

+$2,130 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

9.8 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+2%Estimated return after 10 years
$56,479Observed earnings · year 4
$12,393Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0

The price benchmark is $1,065 per year below this threshold.

Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$56,479 observed annual earnings · 2 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$56,479Typical earnings four years after completion
$54,240Average earnings five years after completion
$12,000Typical federal student debt
67thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
10Degrees awarded in 2024–25
74College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 5 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Precision Metal Working

How much do Precision Metal Working associate's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $56,479 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $12,000. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Precision Metal Working?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $51,467 to $63,811 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Precision Metal Working?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.

Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$47,927
Federal debt
$9,329
Programs in the comparison
398
385 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$56,479
Federal debt
$12,000
Programs in the comparison
74
74 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings
$61,829
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
2
2 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$51,467National median$56,47975th percentile$63,811
74 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$63,81175th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$12,000Median federal debt across programs that report it
6Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

Ferris State University

$86,941 four years after completionBig Rapids, MI · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

Central New Mexico Community College

$6,440 among completer borrowersAlbuquerque, NM · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Ivy Tech Community College

139 reported awards in 2024–25Indianapolis, IN · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

$76,020Observed year-4 earnings$60,081
$3,399Annual college-wide average net price$25,110
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Ferris State University$86,9412Del Mar College$79,3033Hennepin Technical College$76,0204Des Moines Area Community College$75,1455Ivy Tech Community College$75,0026Dunwoody College of Technology$70,8867Clark College$70,5048Pennsylvania College of Technology$70,2989Austin Community College District$69,18510Ranken Technical College$68,297

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other$45,950 median wage15,900 jobs nationwide-7.1% projected growth through 2035 · 1,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$35,350–$65,510 typical wage rangeLayout Workers, Metal and Plastic$63,870 median wage5,970 jobs nationwide-3.4% projected growth through 2035 · 500 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$39,980–$93,860 typical wage rangeMachinists$58,750 median wage287,050 jobs nationwide+1.0% projected growth through 2035 · 26,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$39,200–$80,010 typical wage rangeStructural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$51,330 median wage52,360 jobs nationwide-6.2% projected growth through 2035 · 4,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$37,960–$72,280 typical wage rangeComputer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$50,690 median wage169,450 jobs nationwide-9.4% projected growth through 2035 · 12,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$38,140–$73,890 typical wage rangeRolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,140 median wage25,250 jobs nationwide-8.3% projected growth through 2035 · 1,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$37,690–$70,310 typical wage rangeHeat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,750 median wage14,000 jobs nationwide-9.5% projected growth through 2035 · 1,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$35,180–$66,350 typical wage rangeMultiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,180 median wage124,590 jobs nationwide+0.6% projected growth through 2035 · 11,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$35,780–$74,450 typical wage rangeGrinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,550 median wage67,000 jobs nationwide-10.8% projected growth through 2035 · 4,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$36,110–$62,600 typical wage rangeCutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,330 median wage171,200 jobs nationwide-10.5% projected growth through 2035 · 13,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$35,760–$65,510 typical wage rangeComputer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$68,120 median wage28,500 jobs nationwide+5.9% projected growth through 2035 · 2,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$47,530–$100,320 typical wage rangeTool and Die Makers$64,050 median wage56,930 jobs nationwide-9.2% projected growth through 2035 · 4,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$44,680–$92,680 typical wage range

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

EXPLORE BY STATE

Where this degree has enough data to compare

State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.

TX7 programs$56,879 average earnings

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.