Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Chippewa Valley Technical College

Median Earnings (1yr)

$48,638

95th percentile

60th percentile in Wisconsin

Median Debt

$8,109

10% below national median

Analysis

Chippewa Valley Technical College's precision metal working program significantly outperforms the national field, with graduates earning $48,638 in their first year—34% above the national median and comfortably above the national 75th percentile. The debt load of $8,109 translates to roughly two months of first-year earnings, creating one of the strongest payoff ratios you'll find in vocational education. Within Wisconsin's competitive technical college system, this program sits comfortably in the middle tier, trailing only Fox Valley and Lakeshore among major programs in the state.

What makes this particularly compelling is the earnings trajectory: graduates see steady growth to $51,817 by year four, bucking the stagnation pattern common in many technical certificates. The combination of low debt, strong immediate earnings, and continued wage growth suggests employers value these skills enough to invest in retention. Wisconsin's manufacturing sector provides the stable demand that supports these numbers.

For parents weighing technical training versus traditional four-year degrees, this represents a fundamentally different calculation—your child could be earning nearly $50,000 within a year while carrying debt that's manageable on a monthly payment plan. The program delivers what technical education promises: rapid entry into skilled employment with minimal financial burden.

Where Chippewa Valley Technical College Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Chippewa Valley Technical College graduates compare to all programs nationally

Earnings Over Time

How earnings evolve from 1 year to 4 years after graduation

School	1 Year	4 Years	Growth
Chippewa Valley Technical College	$48,638	$51,817	+7%
Madison Area Technical College	$37,860	$53,952	+43%
Fox Valley Technical College	$53,507	$52,715	-1%
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College	$35,167	$50,833	+45%
Waukesha County Technical College	$43,380	$48,286	+11%

Compare to Similar Programs in Wisconsin

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Wisconsin (17 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt	Debt/Earnings
Chippewa Valley Technical CollegeEau Claire	$4,724	$48,638	$51,817	$8,109	0.17
Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppleton	$4,916	$53,507	$52,715	$7,664	0.14
Lakeshore Technical CollegeCleveland	$4,649	$48,619	$47,025	—	—
Northcentral Technical CollegeWausau	$3,861	$47,718	$45,028	$5,250	0.11
Blackhawk Technical CollegeJanesville	$4,170	$44,698	$45,468	—	—
Waukesha County Technical CollegePewaukee	$4,720	$43,380	$48,286	$9,500	0.22
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 Chippewa Valley Technical College, approximately 17% 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 61 graduates with reported earnings and 62 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.