Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Santa Ana College

Median Earnings (1yr)

$45,864

95th percentile

80th percentile in California

Est. Median Debt

$7,913

Est. from national median (94 programs)

Analysis

Santa Ana College's precision metal working program stands out sharply in California's crowded field of 87 similar offerings. First-year earnings of $45,864 place graduates well ahead of the state median of $32,817—about $13,000 more annually than what similar California programs typically produce. Even among the top-performing schools with reported data, Santa Ana's outcomes exceed programs like The Fab School and NTMA Machinist Career College by $6,000-$7,500. Nationally, this program ranks in the 95th percentile, suggesting students are developing skills that command premium wages in Southern California's manufacturing sector.

The estimated debt burden of around $7,900 keeps the investment manageable, yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.17. Based on comparable certificate programs nationwide, graduates could realistically pay off their education costs within six months to a year of full-time work. That's a fundamentally different proposition from credentials that take years to pay down. The lower-than-average Pell enrollment (16%) suggests many students may be mid-career workers seeking skill upgrades rather than traditional students, which aligns with strong immediate earnings.

For parents concerned about return on investment, this program offers one of the clearest value propositions in technical education: modest estimated debt, strong earnings that exceed state and national peers, and entry into a skilled trade with tangible employment prospects. The numbers suggest Santa Ana has built something genuinely effective in precision metalworking training.

Where Santa Ana College Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Santa Ana College graduates compare to all programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in California

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in California (87 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Santa Ana CollegeSanta Ana	$1,180	$45,864	—	$7,913*	—
The Fab SchoolRancho Cucamonga	—	$39,592	$36,707	$4,449*	0.11
NTMA Machinist Career CollegeSanta Fe Springs	—	$38,259	$42,216	$8,418*	0.22
Universal Technical Institute-Southern CaliforniaLong Beach	—	$37,568	—	—*	—
Universal Technical Institute of California IncRancho Cucamonga	—	$37,568	—	$10,593*	0.28
Summit CollegeSan Bernardino	—	$37,502	$42,958	$7,600*	0.20
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 Santa Ana College, approximately 16% 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.