Median Earnings (1yr)
$38,717
66th percentile
80th percentile in Texas
Median Debt
$9,500
6% above national median

Analysis

Elite Welding Academy's precision metal working certificate delivers exactly what matters in a trade credential: solid starting wages and consistent growth at a price that won't bury your child in debt. The numbers tell a straightforward story—graduates earn nearly 60% more than the typical Texas precision metal worker within four years of completing the program, climbing from $38,717 to $48,013. That's real wage progression in a field where many programs plateau.

The $9,500 debt load means your child would owe less than three months of their first-year salary, and they're paying roughly the same as peers statewide but earning significantly more. Among 71 Texas programs, this one ranks in the 80th percentile for earnings—meaning only the top tier does measurably better. The gap between Elite and the state median ($48,013 vs. $30,105 after four years) represents the difference between struggling paycheck-to-paycheck and building actual savings in your twenties.

Houston's robust industrial economy likely helps these outcomes, but the nearly 25% earnings growth suggests graduates are developing skills that command higher pay as they gain experience. For families where a four-year degree isn't the right fit or affordable, this represents a legitimate path to financial independence within months rather than years.

Where Elite Welding Academy Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Elite Welding Academy graduates compare to all programs nationally

Earnings Over Time

How earnings evolve from 1 year to 4 years after graduation

School1 Year4 YearsGrowth
Elite Welding Academy$38,717$48,013+24%
School of Automotive Machinists & Technology$43,065$50,472+17%
San Jacinto Community College$42,512$44,619+5%
Wharton County Junior College$28,408$43,137+52%
Austin Community College District$39,261$43,110+10%

Compare to Similar Programs in Texas

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Texas (71 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)Earnings (4yr)Median DebtDebt/Earnings
Elite Welding AcademyHouston$38,717$48,013$9,5000.25
Amarillo CollegeAmarillo$2,136$48,263
School of Automotive Machinists & TechnologyHouston$43,065$50,472$16,3540.38
San Jacinto Community CollegePasadena$1,992$42,512$44,619
Lone Star College SystemThe Woodlands$3,090$40,863$28,942$4,5620.11
Austin Community College DistrictAustin$2,550$39,261$43,110$15,8180.40
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 Elite Welding Academy, approximately 45% 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 97 graduates with reported earnings and 99 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.