Location: Chattanooga, TN•In-State Tuition: $4,550•Out-of-State Tuition: $17,750
2026 ROI Award Winner
#9 Precision Production#9 Most Affordable#6 in Tennessee
Median Earnings (1yr)
$39,664
72nd percentile
60th percentile in Tennessee
Median Debt
$4,611
49% below national median
D/E Ratio: 0.12 ManageableSample: 66 graduates

Analysis

Chattanooga State's precision metal working certificate offers a compelling financial equation: graduates earn nearly $40,000 annually while carrying just $4,611 in debt—less than half the statewide median of $9,429. That 0.12 debt-to-earnings ratio means you're looking at roughly 1.4 months of gross income to clear the debt, making this one of the more accessible pathways into skilled manufacturing in Tennessee. The program outearns 60% of metal working programs statewide and 72% nationally, placing graduates comfortably above typical entry-level outcomes for this field.

The slight earnings dip from year one to year four (about $900) shouldn't trigger alarm bells. In precision machining, earnings often plateau rather than climb steeply, especially for workers who stay in similar roles rather than moving into supervisory positions. While top-performing Tennessee technical colleges like Jackson and Murfreesboro show higher earnings, they're not dramatically higher—we're talking $3,000-$4,000 gaps, not career-defining differences.

For families concerned about credential value relative to cost, this program hits the sweet spot. Your child graduates with minimal debt, immediately employable skills, and earnings that exceed what most certificate programs deliver nationwide. The real risk isn't the program itself—it's whether your student plans to advance into management or specialized roles that could boost those mid-career earnings.

Where Chattanooga State Community College Stands

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

Chattanooga State Community CollegeOther precision metal working programs

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

Earnings Distribution

How Chattanooga State Community College graduates compare to all programs nationally

Chattanooga State Community College earns $40k — 72th percentile among precision metal working certificate programs.

Earnings Over Time

How earnings evolve from 1 year to 4 years after graduation

School1 Year4 YearsGrowth
Chattanooga State Community College$39,664$38,759-2%
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Shelbyville$40,605$46,721+15%
TCAT Athens$35,913$45,261+26%
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Knoxville$39,054$43,143+10%
Lincoln College of Technology-Nashville$37,249$42,279+14%

Compare to Similar Programs in Tennessee

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Tennessee (30 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)Earnings (4yr)Median DebtDebt/Earnings
Chattanooga State Community CollegeChattanooga$4,550$39,664$38,759$4,6110.12
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-JacksonJackson—$43,864$41,465——
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-MurfreesboroMurfreesboro—$42,688———
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-ShelbyvilleShelbyville—$40,605$46,721——
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-KnoxvilleKnoxville—$39,054$43,143——
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-PulaskiPulaski—$38,268$40,826——
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 Chattanooga State Community College, approximately 35% 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.