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

Est. Earnings (1yr)

$34,928

Est. from SC median (9 programs)

Est. Median Debt

$10,390

Est. from SC median (6 programs)

Analysis

A $10,390 debt load for a certificate program isn't catastrophic, but when similar precision metalworking programs in South Carolina range from $34,928 to over $50,000 in first-year earnings, you're looking at vastly different return scenarios. The estimated earnings here—$34,928 based on comparable SC programs—fall right at the state median but roughly $15,000 below what graduates from York Technical College or Midlands Technical College are making in the same field. That's a meaningful gap when you're working with manual skills that typically pay based on local demand and shop rates.

The 0.30 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests manageable payments, and the program aligns with the national median for this credential. But precision metalworking is highly regional, and South Carolina's technical colleges show that location and industry connections matter enormously. With a third of students here receiving Pell grants, many families are counting on this certificate to deliver immediate earning power. The estimated figures suggest it will—just not at the level that other SC technical colleges have demonstrated they can achieve.

Before committing, your family should verify current job placement rates and ask specifically about employer partnerships in Cheraw and surrounding areas. The technical skills are valuable, but the data from peer programs indicates that where you earn this certificate in South Carolina significantly impacts what you'll earn afterward.

Where Northeastern Technical College Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all precision metal working certificate's 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
Northeastern Technical CollegeCheraw	$5,664	$34,928*	—	$10,390*	—
York Technical CollegeRock Hill	$5,512	$50,309*	$43,479	$11,250*	0.22
Midlands Technical CollegeWest Columbia	$4,788	$47,556*	—	$10,500*	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
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 Northeastern Technical College, approximately 33% 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 9 similar programs in SC. Actual outcomes may vary.