Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City

Median Earnings (1yr)

$36,908

54th percentile

60th percentile in Missouri

Est. Median Debt

$7,913

Est. from national median (94 programs)

Analysis

In Kansas City's metalworking industry, Metropolitan Community College produces first-year earnings of $36,908—higher than what most Missouri precision metal working programs deliver. That's $2,000 above the state median and places graduates comfortably in the middle of the national pack, though still trailing Ranken Technical's $45,000 mark by a noticeable margin.

The debt picture looks manageable, though it requires context: Metropolitan doesn't report actual debt figures due to small graduate cohorts, but peer programs nationally suggest around $7,900 in borrowing for this credential. That's actually lower than both the state median ($9,500) and national median ($9,000) for similar programs. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.21, graduates are looking at less than three months of gross income to cover their education costs—a reasonable trade-off for skilled trades training that leads directly to employment.

The real question is career trajectory. Precision metal working offers immediate job placement but typically peaks early salary-wise. If your child thrives working with their hands and wants to avoid a four-year commitment, this program provides solid entry into manufacturing. Just understand you're paying for training that delivers mid-pack Missouri earnings, not the premium that some competitors command.

Where Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City graduates compare to all programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in Missouri

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Missouri (23 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas CityKansas City	$3,630	$36,908	—	$7,913*	—
Ranken Technical CollegeSaint Louis	$17,490	$45,004	$49,350	$9,500*	0.21
Ozarks Technical Community CollegeSpringfield	$4,184	$32,817	$39,166	$4,737*	0.14
Midwest Technical Institute-MissouriSpringfield	—	$31,630	$33,836	$9,500*	0.30
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 Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City, approximately 30% 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 17 graduates with reported earnings and 12 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.