Precision Metal Working (Associate's Degree) at Mohawk Valley Community College

Est. Earnings (1yr)

$40,155

Est. from NY median (3 programs)

Est. Median Debt

$11,562

Est. from national median (20 programs)

Analysis

Precision metal working programs in New York typically produce modest but stable starting salaries, and the estimated $40,155 first-year earnings here aligns with what other state programs report. The estimated $11,562 in debt sits slightly below the typical burden for this field, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29—meaning graduates would need roughly three and a half months of gross income to cover their loans. For a two-year technical credential, that's a reasonable starting point.

The challenge with Mohawk Valley's program is that we're working entirely from estimates based on peer institutions, since the school's graduate cohort was too small for the Department of Education to publish actual outcomes. Similar programs at SUNY Alfred and Monroe Community College show first-year earnings in the $40,000-$43,000 range, suggesting this field offers steady entry-level opportunities without dramatic variation between schools. Nationally, precision metal working programs cluster around $41,500 in starting pay, so New York outcomes track closely with the broader market.

For parents evaluating this investment, the fundamentals look sound based on what comparable programs deliver: manageable debt, immediate employability in manufacturing, and earnings that justify the credential. However, without school-specific data, you're essentially betting that Mohawk Valley's program performs at least as well as the state average. If your student has strong interest in machining or manufacturing trades, this represents a low-risk technical path—just recognize you're making that decision on borrowed evidence rather than this program's proven track record.

Where Mohawk Valley Community College Stands

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

Compare to Similar Programs in New York

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

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)*	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Mohawk Valley Community CollegeUtica	$6,114	$40,155*	—	$11,562*	—
SUNY College of Technology at AlfredAlfred	$8,862	$42,739*	$48,923	$12,000*	0.28
Monroe Community CollegeRochester	$5,856	$40,155*	$41,092	—*	—
SUNY College of Technology at DelhiDelhi	$8,710	$39,059*	—	$12,000*	0.31
National Median	—	$41,504*	—	$12,000*	0.29

* 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 Mohawk Valley Community College, approximately 29% 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.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 3 similar programs in NY. Actual outcomes may vary.