Location: San Antonio, TX
Median Earnings (1yr)
$25,077
5th percentile
25th percentile in Texas
Median Debt
$7,125
21% below national median
D/E Ratio: 0.28 ManageableSample: 766 graduates

Analysis

Southern Careers Institute's precision metal working program delivers concerning financial outcomes that should give parents pause. With median earnings of just $25,077 one year after graduation, graduates earn about $11,000 less than the Texas state median for this field and rank in only the 25th percentile among Texas programs. This means three-quarters of similar programs in the state produce better-earning graduates.

The debt picture offers some relief—at $7,125, it's notably lower than both state and national medians, resulting in a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.28. However, this advantage is overshadowed by the weak earning potential. Even four years out, graduates typically earn just $29,162, still well below what peers at stronger programs earn in their first year. The top Texas programs like Amarillo College ($48,263) and San Jacinto Community College ($42,512) produce graduates earning nearly twice as much.

While the 65% Pell grant rate indicates the school serves students who need affordable options, this program appears to be a poor investment even at its lower cost. Your child would likely achieve better financial outcomes at a community college offering the same credential, where earnings potential is significantly higher while costs remain affordable.

Where Southern Careers Institute-San Antonio Stands

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

Southern Careers Institute-San AntonioOther precision metal working programs

Dashed lines show national medians. Upper-left = best value.

Earnings Distribution

How Southern Careers Institute-San Antonio graduates compare to all programs nationally

Southern Careers Institute-San Antonio earns $25k — 5th percentile among precision metal working certificate programs.

Earnings Over Time

How earnings evolve from 1 year to 4 years after graduation

School1 Year4 YearsGrowth
Southern Careers Institute-San Antonio$25,077$29,162+16%
School of Automotive Machinists & Technology$43,065$50,472+17%
Elite Welding Academy$38,717$48,013+24%
San Jacinto Community College$42,512$44,619+5%
Wharton County Junior College$28,408$43,137+52%

Compare to Similar Programs in Texas

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Texas (71 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)Earnings (4yr)Median DebtDebt/Earnings
Southern Careers Institute-San AntonioSan Antonio—$25,077$29,162$7,1250.28
Amarillo CollegeAmarillo$2,136$48,263———
School of Automotive Machinists & TechnologyHouston—$43,065$50,472$16,3540.38
San Jacinto Community CollegePasadena$1,992$42,512$44,619——
Lone Star College SystemThe Woodlands$3,090$40,863$28,942$4,5620.11
Austin Community College DistrictAustin$2,550$39,261$43,110$15,8180.40
National Median—$36,248—$9,0000.25

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 Southern Careers Institute-San Antonio, approximately 65% 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 766 graduates with reported earnings and 833 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.