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

Median Earnings (1yr)

$38,884

67th percentile

60th percentile in Maine

Est. Median Debt

$7,913

Est. from national median (94 programs)

Analysis

A $38,884 first-year salary in precision metal working puts Kennebec Valley graduates above typical program outcomes—in the 67th percentile nationally and 60th percentile statewide. The program costs around $7,900 based on national data from similar certificate programs, creating a favorable 0.20 debt-to-earnings ratio. That means graduates would need roughly 2.4 months of first-year wages to cover their educational investment, an unusually strong position for a technical credential.

The precision metal working field shows surprising consistency across Maine, with the $38,884 figure representing the median for all eight programs statewide. Nationally, these certificates typically produce $36,248 in first-year earnings, so Maine programs appear to offer a modest premium. The estimated debt here sits below the $9,000 national median for the field, though remember this figure comes from comparable certificate programs nationally rather than Kennebec Valley's actual graduate outcomes.

For parents weighing this investment, the math works clearly in your favor: low debt for a credential that delivers immediate earning power in a skilled trade. The 31% Pell grant rate suggests the college serves students from various economic backgrounds, and the program's above-average earnings suggest strong local employer demand. The main uncertainty is whether your student will stick with metal working—these are first-year numbers, and career trajectories in skilled trades depend heavily on continued specialization and certification.

Where Kennebec Valley Community College Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Kennebec Valley Community College graduates compare to all programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs Nationally

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at top institutions nationally

Scroll to see more →

School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Kennebec Valley Community CollegeFairfield	$3,562	$38,884	—	$7,913*	—
Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids	$13,630	$68,852	$74,137	$21,765*	0.32
Idaho State UniversityPocatello	$8,356	$64,581	$55,405	$9,000*	0.14
Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeBowling Green	$4,656	$58,996	—	$9,413*	0.16
Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppleton	$4,916	$53,507	$52,715	$7,664*	0.14
Elizabethtown Community and Technical CollegeElizabethtown	$4,656	$53,172	—	$7,166*	0.13
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 Kennebec Valley Community College, approximately 31% 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 21 graduates with reported earnings and 17 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.