Location: Austin, TX•In-State Tuition: $2,550•Out-of-State Tuition: $10,590
Median Earnings (1yr)
$39,261
70th percentile
80th percentile in Texas
Median Debt
$15,818
76% above national median
D/E Ratio: 0.40 ManageableSample: 30 graduates

Analysis

Austin Community College's precision metal working program punches above its weight—graduates earn $43,110 four years out, placing this program in the 80th percentile among Texas metalworking programs. That's $13,000 more than the typical Texas metalworking graduate earns, even if it trails the state's top performers in Amarillo and specialized trade schools. Nationally, it also performs well, landing in the 70th percentile.

The debt picture is favorable: at $15,818, graduates carry more than the state median but still finish with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.40, meaning they owe less than half their first-year salary. Earnings also show healthy momentum, growing 10% from year one to year four. For a certificate program that gets students into the workforce quickly, this combination of moderate debt and solid earning potential is exactly what you want to see.

If your child is interested in skilled trades and wants to stay in Texas, this program offers a clear path to middle-class earnings without the debt burden of a four-year degree. The Austin job market for precision manufacturing appears stronger than most of Texas, which explains why ACC graduates outperform most of their in-state peers. It's not the highest-earning metalworking program in Texas, but it delivers reliable results at a reasonable cost.

Where Austin Community College District Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all precision metal working certificate's programs nationally

Austin Community College DistrictOther precision metal working programs

Dashed lines show national medians. Upper-left = best value.

Earnings Distribution

How Austin Community College District graduates compare to all programs nationally

Austin Community College District earns $39k — 70th percentile among precision metal working certificate programs.

Earnings Over Time

How earnings evolve from 1 year to 4 years after graduation

School1 Year4 YearsGrowth
Austin Community College District$39,261$43,110+10%
School of Automotive Machinists & Technology$43,065$50,472+17%
Elite Welding Academy$38,717$48,013+24%
San Jacinto Community College$42,512$44,619+5%
Wharton County Junior College$28,408$43,137+52%

Compare to Similar Programs in Texas

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Texas (71 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)Earnings (4yr)Median DebtDebt/Earnings
Austin Community College DistrictAustin$2,550$39,261$43,110$15,8180.40
Amarillo CollegeAmarillo$2,136$48,263———
School of Automotive Machinists & TechnologyHouston—$43,065$50,472$16,3540.38
San Jacinto Community CollegePasadena$1,992$42,512$44,619——
Lone Star College SystemThe Woodlands$3,090$40,863$28,942$4,5620.11
Universal Technical Institute-Dallas Fort WorthIrving—$39,141—$6,8550.18
National Median—$36,248—$9,0000.25

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with precision metal working graduates

Sheet Metal Workers

Fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as ducts, control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings. Work may involve any of the following: setting up and operating fabricating machines to cut, bend, and straighten sheet metal; shaping metal over anvils, blocks, or forms using hammer; operating soldering and welding equipment to join sheet metal parts; or inspecting, assembling, and smoothing seams and joints of burred surfaces. Includes sheet metal duct installers who install prefabricated sheet metal ducts used for heating, air conditioning, or other purposes.

$60,850/yrJobs growth:High school diploma or equivalent

Machinists

Set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments out of metal. Includes precision instrument makers who fabricate, modify, or repair mechanical instruments. May also fabricate and modify parts to make or repair machine tools or maintain industrial machines, applying knowledge of mechanics, mathematics, metal properties, layout, and machining procedures.

$57,700/yrJobs growth:

Tool and Die Makers

Analyze specifications, lay out metal stock, set up and operate machine tools, and fit and assemble parts to make and repair dies, cutting tools, jigs, fixtures, gauges, and machinists' hand tools.

$57,700/yrJobs growth:

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand-soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.

$51,000/yrJobs growth:High school diploma or equivalent

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:

Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend forging machines to taper, shape, or form metal or plastic parts.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:

Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend machines to roll steel or plastic forming bends, beads, knurls, rolls, or plate, or to flatten, temper, or reduce gauge of material.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:

Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend drilling machines to drill, bore, ream, mill, or countersink metal or plastic work pieces.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:

Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff, hone, or polish metal or plastic work pieces.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:

Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:

Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend milling or planing machines to mill, plane, shape, groove, or profile metal or plastic work pieces.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:
About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Austin Community College District, approximately 23% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Sample Size: Based on 30 graduates with reported earnings and 31 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.