Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Lincoln Technical Institute-South Plainfield

Median Earnings (1yr)

$37,249

57th percentile

60th percentile in New Jersey

Median Debt

$9,429

5% above national median

Analysis

This precision metal working program delivers solid, middle-of-the-pack performance that should appeal to families seeking practical career training without crushing debt. With first-year earnings of $37,249 and manageable debt of $9,429, graduates face a very reasonable debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.25—meaning they'd need roughly three months of gross income to pay off their educational investment.

The program performs respectably both nationally (57th percentile) and within New Jersey (60th percentile), placing it squarely in the middle tier among the state's 10 precision metal working programs. What's particularly encouraging is the 14% earnings growth from year one to year four, reaching $42,279, which suggests real career advancement potential. The debt level sits at the 40th percentile nationally, meaning 60% of similar programs saddle students with more debt.

For anxious parents, this represents a relatively safe bet in vocational education. Your child would enter a field with immediate earning potential and room for growth, while taking on debt that won't dominate their financial life. The robust sample size of 100+ graduates gives confidence in these outcomes. While this isn't the highest-earning technical program available, it offers a pragmatic path to stable employment with debt levels that won't keep you awake at night.

Where Lincoln Technical Institute-South Plainfield Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Lincoln Technical Institute-South Plainfield 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
Lincoln Technical Institute-South Plainfield	$37,249	$42,279	+14%
Ferris State University	$68,852	$74,137	+8%
Alexandria Technical & Community College	$51,141	$55,483	+8%
Hohokus School of Trade and Technical Sciences	$26,736	$47,845	+79%
Lincoln Technical Institute-Mahwah	$37,249	$42,279	+14%

Compare to Similar Programs in New Jersey

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in New Jersey (10 total in state)

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School	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt	Debt/Earnings
Lincoln Technical Institute-South PlainfieldSouth Plainfield	$37,249	$42,279	$9,429	0.25
Universal Technical Institute-BloomfieldBloomfield	$39,141	—	—	—
Lincoln Technical Institute-MahwahMahwah	$37,249	$42,279	$9,429	0.25
Hohokus School of Trade and Technical SciencesPaterson	$26,736	$47,845	$7,600	0.28
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 Lincoln Technical Institute-South Plainfield, approximately 55% 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 1223 graduates with reported earnings and 1194 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.