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

Analysis

Davis Technical College's precision metal working certificate delivers $45,350 in first-year earnings—well above the national median of $36,248 and competitive with the top technical colleges in Utah. While the debt figure of roughly $7,900 is an estimate based on similar certificate programs nationally (actual data wasn't published due to small class sizes), that level would produce a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.17, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off loans in about two months of gross earnings.

The earnings figure itself is verified and places this program at the 95th percentile nationally, though it sits at the 60th percentile within Utah—where metal working programs generally pay better than elsewhere. Davis Technical's outcomes trail only Mountainland Technical's $42,032 among comparable Utah programs with reported data, suggesting this school prepares students well for the local manufacturing sector.

The low estimated debt burden combined with strong day-one earnings makes this a relatively low-risk credential. Even if actual debt runs higher than the estimate, graduates earning $45,000 should manage repayment comfortably. For families considering skilled trades, this represents the kind of short-term training that can lead directly to livable wages without the multi-year commitment or debt load of traditional college degrees.

Where Davis Technical College Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Davis Technical College graduates compare to all programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in Utah

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Utah (11 total in state)

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School	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Davis Technical CollegeKaysville	$45,350	—	$7,913*	—
Mountainland Technical CollegeLehi	$42,032	$35,137	—*	—
Ogden-Weber Technical CollegeOgden	$39,699	$46,922	—*	—
Southwest Technical CollegeCedar City	$35,838	—	—*	—
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 Davis Technical College, approximately 9% 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 27 graduates with reported earnings and 11 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.