Location: Bristol, CT
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$39,408
Est. from CT median (3 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$7,913
Est. from national median (94 programs)

Analysis

A debt load around $7,900 for skilled trades training is unusually manageable, especially when peer metalworking programs in Connecticut suggest first-year earnings near $39,400. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.20 means graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in under three months of gross income—a remarkably clean financial picture for a technical credential. The national benchmark sits at $9,000 in debt, so this program appears positioned below that threshold even among estimates.

Connecticut's metalworking programs cluster tightly around the same earnings figure, with the state's community college reporting just slightly higher at $41,378. What matters here is that all pathways into this trade seem to produce similar early outcomes, suggesting the field itself—not the specific training provider—drives earning potential. That's typical for skilled trades where certifications and hands-on competency matter more than institutional pedigree.

The practical takeaway: this program offers a low-cost entry point into a field with immediate earning potential that exceeds the national median. The uncertainty around these estimates matters less when the debt burden is this contained—even if actual outcomes vary by several thousand dollars, the financial fundamentals remain sound. For families prioritizing quick workforce entry without loan risk, this represents a defensible path, though you'll want to verify job placement rates and equipment quality directly with Bristol Tech.

Where Bristol Technical Education Center Stands

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

Bristol Technical Education Center (estimated ±10%)Other precision metal working programs

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

Compare to Similar Programs in Connecticut

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Connecticut (4 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
Bristol Technical Education CenterBristol—$39,408*—$7,913*—
Connecticut State Community CollegeNew Britain$5,092$41,378*——*—
Lincoln Technical Institute-East WindsorEast Windsor—$39,408*$42,154$11,597*0.29
Lincoln Technical Institute-New BritainNew Britain—$39,408*$42,154$11,597*0.29
National Median—$36,248*—$9,000*0.25
* Estimated from similar programs

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 Bristol Technical Education Center, approximately 0% 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.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 3 similar programs in CT. Actual outcomes may vary.