Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Gateway Community and Technical College

Analysis

Gateway's Precision Metal Working certificate puts graduates solidly ahead of most programs nationwide, but middle-of-the-pack among Kentucky's community colleges. At $42,233 first-year earnings, graduates earn $6,000 more than the national median—ranking in the 83rd percentile nationally. However, within Kentucky's competitive technical college landscape, this sits near the state median of $41,824, trailing programs at Southcentral Kentucky ($59,000) and Elizabethtown ($53,000) by substantial margins.

The financial equation is straightforward: with just $9,041 in typical debt, graduates face a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.21, meaning they could theoretically repay their loans in under three months of gross earnings. This is manageable by any standard and positions the certificate as a low-risk credential. The moderate sample size of 30-100 graduates suggests steady enrollment without the concerns that come with very small cohorts.

For families focused on minimizing debt while gaining marketable skills, this program delivers solid value. However, if your student can access other Kentucky community colleges offering precision metalworking—particularly those in the Elizabethtown or Bowling Green regions—it's worth comparing opportunities, as those programs show significantly higher earning potential. Gateway offers a dependable path into manufacturing careers, just not necessarily the highest-paying one in the state.

Where Gateway Community and Technical College Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Gateway Community and Technical College graduates compare to all programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in Kentucky

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

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt	Debt/Earnings
Gateway Community and Technical CollegeFlorence	$4,656	$42,233	—	$9,041	0.21
Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeBowling Green	$4,656	$58,996	—	$9,413	0.16
Elizabethtown Community and Technical CollegeElizabethtown	$4,656	$53,172	—	$7,166	0.13
Bluegrass Community and Technical CollegeLexington	$4,706	$46,133	—	$10,684	0.23
Owensboro Community and Technical CollegeOwensboro	$4,656	$45,366	—	$7,475	0.16
Somerset Community CollegeSomerset	$4,656	$41,415	—	$8,439	0.20
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 Gateway Community and Technical College, approximately 29% 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 36 graduates with reported earnings and 69 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.