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

Est. Earnings (1yr)

$41,613

Est. from IA median (7 programs)

Est. Median Debt

$5,500

Est. from IA median (5 programs)

Analysis

When peer programs across Iowa report median earnings around $41,600 and debt near $5,500, the math works decidedly in students' favor—a debt burden roughly one-eighth of first-year income is among the best ratios you'll find in skilled trades education. That estimated debt figure also sits well below the $9,000 national median for precision metalworking certificates, suggesting Iowa's community colleges generally keep training costs reasonable.

The earnings picture looks solid too. Similar programs in Iowa range from about $39,400 to nearly $46,000 in first-year wages, putting this estimate squarely in the middle. That's $5,000 above what precision metalworking graduates typically earn nationally, likely reflecting Iowa's manufacturing sector demand. The top performers in the state—Marshalltown and Hawkeye—show there's room to earn more with the right opportunities, but even at the median, you're looking at immediate employment in a field where skills translate directly to paychecks.

The caveat: these are estimates drawn from comparable Iowa programs because Indian Hills' graduate sample was too small for the Department of Education to publish actual outcomes. What you're seeing is a reasonable proxy based on how similar metalworking programs perform statewide. For a quick-turnaround certificate that gets students into manufacturing work without crushing debt, the fundamentals look sound—but confirming job placement rates and employer connections specific to Indian Hills would strengthen your confidence.

Where Indian Hills Community College Stands

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

Compare to Similar Programs in Iowa

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Iowa (15 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)*	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Indian Hills Community CollegeOttumwa	$4,872	$41,613*	—	$5,500*	—
Marshalltown Community CollegeMarshalltown	$5,304	$45,972*	—	—*	—
Hawkeye Community CollegeWaterloo	$6,308	$45,509*	$44,868	$7,874*	0.17
Northeast Iowa Community CollegeCalmar	$6,600	$43,588*	$49,983	$5,479*	0.13
Western Iowa Tech Community CollegeSioux City	$5,042	$41,613*	—	$7,910*	0.19
Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny	$5,550	$39,397*	$43,506	$5,500*	0.14
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 Indian Hills Community College, approximately 22% 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.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 7 similar programs in IA. Actual outcomes may vary.