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

2026 ROI Award Winner

#36 Most Affordable #6 in Wisconsin

Median Earnings (1yr)

$42,282

83rd percentile

60th percentile in Wisconsin

Median Debt

$5,500

39% below national median

Analysis

Northwood Technical College's Precision Metal Working certificate punches well above its weight class nationally—scoring in the 83rd percentile for earnings—while keeping debt exceptionally low at just $5,500. That debt burden is roughly 40% below Wisconsin's already-modest state median, meaning graduates finish with minimal financial obligation and can immediately benefit from their $42,282 starting salary.

The program sits in the middle of Wisconsin's competitive metalworking landscape, which makes sense given the state's strong manufacturing base. While it doesn't match the $48,000+ earnings seen at Chippewa Valley or Lakeshore, it significantly outperforms the national median of $36,248. The slight earnings dip to $39,745 by year four likely reflects normal industry volatility rather than credential problems—metalworking wages fluctuate with manufacturing cycles. With such minimal debt, graduates have flexibility to weather those swings or pivot within the skilled trades.

For parents worried about taking on five-figure debt for training programs, this offers a compelling alternative. Your child can enter Wisconsin's manufacturing sector with marketable skills and barely any loan burden. The tradeoff is that top Wisconsin programs deliver 20-25% higher earnings, but those extra dollars may not offset the peace of mind that comes from owing virtually nothing at graduation.

Where Northwood Technical College Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Northwood Technical College 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
Northwood Technical College	$42,282	$39,745	-6%
Madison Area Technical College	$37,860	$53,952	+43%
Fox Valley Technical College	$53,507	$52,715	-1%
Chippewa Valley Technical College	$48,638	$51,817	+7%
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College	$35,167	$50,833	+45%

Compare to Similar Programs in Wisconsin

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Wisconsin (17 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt	Debt/Earnings
Northwood Technical CollegeRice Lake	$4,524	$42,282	$39,745	$5,500	0.13
Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppleton	$4,916	$53,507	$52,715	$7,664	0.14
Chippewa Valley Technical CollegeEau Claire	$4,724	$48,638	$51,817	$8,109	0.17
Lakeshore Technical CollegeCleveland	$4,649	$48,619	$47,025	—	—
Northcentral Technical CollegeWausau	$3,861	$47,718	$45,028	$5,250	0.11
Blackhawk Technical CollegeJanesville	$4,170	$44,698	$45,468	—	—
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 Northwood Technical College, 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 133 graduates with reported earnings and 111 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.