Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical Schools

2026 ROI Award Winner

#8 in Ohio

Median Earnings (1yr)

$39,328

70th percentile

60th percentile in Ohio

Median Debt

$6,485

28% below national median

Analysis

This program delivers solid, dependable returns with minimal financial risk—a straightforward path into skilled manufacturing work. With debt under $6,500 and first-year earnings approaching $40,000, graduates face a debt burden they could realistically pay off in a few months. That 0.16 debt-to-earnings ratio is exceptional, particularly compared to many certificate programs that saddle students with debt equal to half their annual income or more.

Within Ohio's precision metalworking landscape, this program sits comfortably in the middle tier, outearning the state median but trailing specialized institutions like Hobart Institute of Welding Technology by about $6,000. The 12% earnings growth over four years suggests steady career progression rather than immediate mastery, which is typical for skilled trades. Nearly half the student body receives Pell grants, indicating the program successfully serves working-class students seeking economic mobility without gambling on debt.

The value proposition here is simple: acquire marketable skills quickly, enter the workforce with manageable debt, and build earning power over time. For a family worried about college costs spinning out of control, this represents exactly the kind of pragmatic investment that can launch a stable career without years of loan payments hanging overhead.

Where Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical Schools Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical Schools 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
Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical Schools	$39,328	$44,145	+12%
Career and Technology Education Centers of Licking County	$38,709	$49,393	+28%
Elite Welding Academy South Point	$38,717	$48,013	+24%
Elite Welding Academy LLC	$38,717	$48,013	+24%
Hobart Institute of Welding Technology	$45,370	$47,472	+5%

Compare to Similar Programs in Ohio

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Ohio (61 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt	Debt/Earnings
Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical SchoolsGroveport	—	$39,328	$44,145	$6,485	0.16
Hobart Institute of Welding TechnologyTroy	—	$45,370	$47,472	$5,500	0.12
Butler Technology and Career Development SchoolsMonroe	—	$42,625	—	$6,327	0.15
Great Oaks Career CampusesCincinnati	—	$41,277	$38,354	$6,078	0.15
Fortis College-Cuyahoga FallsCuyahoga Falls	$14,050	$39,990	$35,129	—	—
Elite Welding Academy LLCCincinnati	—	$38,717	$48,013	$9,500	0.25
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 Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical Schools, approximately 43% 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 30 graduates with reported earnings and 29 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.