Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Midlands Technical College

Analysis

Midlands Technical College graduates from this precision metal working program earn $47,556 just one year out—nearly $13,000 above the state median and crushing the national benchmark by more than 30%. Among the 16 schools offering this program in South Carolina, only York Technical College posts higher earnings. That's impressive performance for a field where the typical graduate nationally earns $36,000.

The debt burden here is remarkably light at $10,500, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.22. That means graduates could theoretically pay off their entire student debt with less than three months of gross earnings—far better than most bachelor's degrees. The combination of strong earnings and modest debt is exactly what you want to see in a technical credential, especially when 39% of students qualify for Pell grants, suggesting the program effectively serves working-class families.

The catch? This data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so individual outcomes could vary more than usual. But the fundamentals are compelling: low financial risk, immediate earning potential that exceeds most alternatives in the state, and training for skilled trades work that remains in demand. For a student interested in precision manufacturing, this program delivers one of the better returns you'll find in South Carolina's technical college system.

Where Midlands Technical College Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Midlands Technical College graduates compare to all programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in South Carolina

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

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt	Debt/Earnings
Midlands Technical CollegeWest Columbia	$4,788	$47,556	—	$10,500	0.22
York Technical CollegeRock Hill	$5,512	$50,309	$43,479	$11,250	0.22
Spartanburg Community CollegeSpartanburg	$5,046	$38,147	$36,665	—	—
Florence-Darlington Technical CollegeFlorence	$4,636	$34,948	$36,439	$7,230	0.21
Piedmont Technical CollegeGreenwood	$4,775	$34,928	$38,383	$11,625	0.33
ArclabsPiedmont	—	$34,843	—	$9,500	0.27
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 Midlands Technical College, approximately 39% 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 29 graduates with reported earnings and 21 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.