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

Median Earnings (1yr)

$45,004

93rd percentile

80th percentile in Missouri

Median Debt

$9,500

6% above national median

Analysis

Ranken Technical College turns out some of the highest-earning precision metalworking graduates in Missouri—and it's not particularly close. At $45,004 in the first year, graduates earn nearly $10,000 more than the state median and rank in the 80th percentile among Missouri programs. Nationally, the picture is even stronger: this program sits in the 93rd percentile, well above the national median of $36,248. The $9,500 in typical debt produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.21, meaning graduates earn their total educational debt back in roughly three months of work.

The earnings trajectory holds up too, with graduates seeing modest but steady growth to $49,350 by year four. That 10% increase suggests the technical skills translate into workplace value rather than dead-ending at entry-level wages. With 42% of students qualifying for Pell grants, the program clearly serves working-class families looking for a direct path to solid manufacturing jobs.

For parents evaluating trade school options, this is what success looks like: low debt, high starting wages relative to peers, and placement in a skilled trade with room to advance. The St. Louis manufacturing sector appears to reward these credentials handsomely.

Where Ranken Technical College Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Ranken 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
Ranken Technical College	$45,004	$49,350	+10%
Ferris State University	$68,852	$74,137	+8%
Alexandria Technical & Community College	$51,141	$55,483	+8%
Ozarks Technical Community College	$32,817	$39,166	+19%
Midwest Technical Institute-Missouri	$31,630	$33,836	+7%

Compare to Similar Programs in Missouri

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Missouri (23 total in state)

Scroll to see more →

School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt	Debt/Earnings
Ranken Technical CollegeSaint Louis	$17,490	$45,004	$49,350	$9,500	0.21
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas CityKansas City	$3,630	$36,908	—	—	—
Ozarks Technical Community CollegeSpringfield	$4,184	$32,817	$39,166	$4,737	0.14
Midwest Technical Institute-MissouriSpringfield	—	$31,630	$33,836	$9,500	0.30
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 Ranken Technical College, approximately 42% 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 73 graduates with reported earnings and 74 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.