Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Modern Welding School

Median Earnings (1yr)

$43,246

87th percentile

60th percentile in New York

Median Debt

$6,790

25% below national median

Analysis

Modern Welding School's precision metalworking certificate punches well above its weight class—graduates earn $43,246 right out of the gate, outperforming 87% of similar programs nationwide and sitting comfortably above New York's state median of $39,730. With just $6,790 in debt, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.16 means your child could realistically pay off the full cost in four months of focused payments. That's a faster path to financial stability than most four-year degrees can offer.

The earnings picture stays remarkably stable at $43,612 four years out, which is typical for skilled trades where competency matters more than tenure. While that flat trajectory might look unexciting compared to careers with dramatic growth curves, it reflects the reliable nature of precision metalworking: you develop expertise quickly, get paid well from the start, and maintain steady earning power. Nearly half the student body receives Pell grants, suggesting the school successfully serves working-class families looking for accessible training.

For a family weighing trade school options in New York, this program delivers immediate earning power at minimal financial risk. Your child enters the workforce skilled and debt-light, ready to build savings rather than spend years climbing out of loan obligations.

Where Modern Welding School Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Modern Welding School 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
Modern Welding School	$43,246	$43,612	+1%
Ferris State University	$68,852	$74,137	+8%
Alexandria Technical & Community College	$51,141	$55,483	+8%
Onondaga Cortland Madison BOCES	$39,730	$41,152	+4%
Apex Technical School	$30,807	$40,904	+33%

Compare to Similar Programs in New York

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in New York (14 total in state)

Scroll to see more →

School	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt	Debt/Earnings
Modern Welding SchoolSchenectady	$43,246	$43,612	$6,790	0.16
Onondaga Cortland Madison BOCESLiverpool	$39,730	$41,152	$8,326	0.21
Apex Technical SchoolLong Island City	$30,807	$40,904	$9,500	0.31
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 Modern Welding School, approximately 47% 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 118 graduates with reported earnings and 126 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.