Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Pinellas Technical College-Clearwater

Analysis

Pinellas Technical College's precision metal working certificate earns graduates $40,795 in their first year—solidly above both the Florida median of $33,687 and the national median of $36,248. That puts this program in the top quarter nationally and comfortably in the upper half of Florida's 53 similar programs. With debt estimated around $7,900 based on typical borrowing at technical colleges nationally, you're looking at a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.19, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off their loans with less than three months' salary.

The catch is that these debt figures are estimates rather than actual outcomes for Pinellas Tech graduates, since the school's graduate sample was too small for the Department of Education to publish. Still, technical certificates in precision metal working are remarkably standardized in cost across Florida—the state median is $7,500—so the estimate likely reflects reality. What matters more is that this program's earnings outperform most of its in-state competitors except for a handful of top performers like Lively Technical College.

For a technical certificate that takes months rather than years to complete, earning over $40,000 straight out of the gate represents a strong return. The field delivers immediate employment, and the debt burden—while not zero—is manageable enough that your child could enter the workforce without the financial weight that comes with longer degree programs.

Where Pinellas Technical College-Clearwater Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Pinellas Technical College-Clearwater graduates compare to all programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in Florida

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Florida (53 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Pinellas Technical College-ClearwaterClearwater	—	$40,795	—	$7,913*	—
Lively Technical CollegeTallahassee	—	$46,499	$33,740	—*	—
Manatee Technical CollegeBradenton	—	$41,602	—	—*	—
Palm Beach State CollegeLake Worth	$3,050	$41,518	$48,201	—*	—
Orange Technical College-South CampusOrlando	—	$39,539	—	—*	—
Marion Technical CollegeOcala	—	$38,846	$30,807	—*	—
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 Pinellas Technical College-Clearwater, approximately 19% 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.