Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Hinds Community College

Median Earnings (1yr)

$22,434

5th percentile

10th percentile in Mississippi

Median Debt

$5,500

39% below national median

Analysis

Hinds Community College graduates start significantly behind their Mississippi peers—earning $22,434 in the first year compared to the state median of $33,524—and never fully catch up. Even after four years, when earnings reach $30,742, graduates trail those from Northwest Mississippi CC ($36,303) and East Mississippi CC ($35,345). This program ranks in just the 10th percentile statewide, meaning 90% of precision metal working programs in Mississippi deliver better outcomes.

The 37% earnings growth sounds promising until you realize it's recovering from an unusually low starting point. At $5,500, the debt load matches the state median and stays manageable, but that's cold comfort when your first-year earnings barely exceed $22,000. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.25 looks reasonable on paper, yet you're still watching your child earn $11,000 less than the state median right out of the gate.

For an anxious parent, the bottom line is clear: if your child is set on precision metal working in Mississippi, other community colleges offer substantially better earnings from day one. Northwest Mississippi, East Mississippi, and Itawamba all place graduates at significantly higher starting salaries without requiring more debt. Unless there are compelling geographic or personal reasons to choose Hinds, exploring these alternatives makes financial sense.

Where Hinds Community College Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Hinds Community 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
Hinds Community College	$22,434	$30,742	+37%
Ferris State University	$68,852	$74,137	+8%
East Mississippi Community College	$35,345	$42,699	+21%
Meridian Community College	$31,988	$37,913	+19%
Delta Technical College-Mississippi	$31,630	$33,836	+7%

Compare to Similar Programs in Mississippi

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Mississippi (16 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt	Debt/Earnings
Hinds Community CollegeRaymond	$3,825	$22,434	$30,742	$5,500	0.25
Northwest Mississippi Community CollegeSenatobia	$3,660	$36,303	—	—	—
East Mississippi Community CollegeScooba	$3,950	$35,345	$42,699	$5,500	0.16
Itawamba Community CollegeFulton	$3,420	$35,061	—	—	—
Meridian Community CollegeMeridian	$3,932	$31,988	$37,913	—	—
Delta Technical College-MississippiHorn Lake	—	$31,630	$33,836	$9,500	0.30
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 Hinds Community College, approximately 38% 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 89 graduates with reported earnings and 96 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.