Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Central Virginia Community College

Analysis

Central Virginia Community College's Precision Metal Working certificate delivers exactly what most community college technical programs promise: solid trade training at a manageable price. Graduates earn $37,281 in their first year—about $2,600 above Virginia's median for this program and $1,000 above the national average. Among the 23 Virginia schools offering precision metalworking, this ranks in the 60th percentile, putting it slightly ahead of the pack but well behind top performers like Advanced Technology Institute ($43,656) or Brightpoint Community College ($39,273).

The financial math works cleanly here. With median debt of just $8,625 and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.23, graduates can realistically pay off their loans within a year or two while building careers in Virginia's manufacturing sector. That's lower debt than the state average ($9,062) and positions graduates to start accumulating savings quickly rather than treading water with payments.

For families looking at trade alternatives to four-year degrees, this program represents a straightforward path: modest debt, immediate earnings potential, and outcomes that beat most in-state competitors. It's not the highest-earning metalworking program in Virginia, but the combination of below-average debt and above-average earnings makes it a practical choice for students ready to enter manufacturing work.

Where Central Virginia Community College Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Central Virginia Community College graduates compare to all programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in Virginia

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Virginia (23 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt	Debt/Earnings
Central Virginia Community CollegeLynchburg	$4,998	$37,281	—	$8,625	0.23
Advanced Technology InstituteVirginia Beach	$14,568	$43,656	$41,363	$12,674	0.29
Brightpoint Community CollegeChester	$4,938	$39,273	—	—	—
Patrick & Henry Community CollegeMartinsville	$4,858	$37,030	—	—	—
Tidewater Tech-TradesNorfolk	$16,337	$32,269	$36,914	$9,500	0.29
Tidewater Community CollegeNorfolk	$5,714	$23,785	—	$8,455	0.36
National Median	—	$36,248	—	$9,000	0.25

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 Central Virginia Community College, approximately 33% 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 38 graduates with reported earnings and 20 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.