Location: South Portland, ME•In-State Tuition: $3,797•Out-of-State Tuition: $6,677
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$36,248
Est. from national median (299 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$7,913
Est. from national median (94 programs)

Analysis

A certificate in precision metal working carries relatively low risk when debt sits around $7,900, even if earnings estimates from comparable programs nationwide suggest starting pay near $36,200. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.22 means you'd be looking at manageable monthly payments—roughly what you might spend on a car loan—for a skilled trade that gets graduates working quickly.

The question is whether Southern Maine's program performs at the level of its Maine peers. Kennebec Valley's reported outcomes show graduates earning closer to $38,900, about $2,600 more than the national baseline used here. Maine's manufacturing sector—particularly its boat building and aerospace supply industries—tends to pay precision machinists decently, so there's reason to think this program could track closer to that state figure than the national one. At a quarter of students receiving Pell grants, Southern Maine serves working-class families who need these trades to pay off.

The pathway here is straightforward: complete a short certificate program, take on modest debt, and enter a field with clear employer demand. The uncertainty in these estimates matters less when the financial downside is contained. If your student has mechanical aptitude and prefers hands-on work to a classroom, this represents a practical entry point into manufacturing—just verify the program's shop equipment is current and that local employers actively recruit from Southern Maine.

Where Southern Maine Community College Stands

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

Southern Maine Community College (estimated ±10%)Other precision metal working programs

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

Compare to Similar Programs in Maine

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Maine (8 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
Southern Maine Community CollegeSouth Portland$3,797$36,248*—$7,913*—
Kennebec Valley Community CollegeFairfield$3,562$38,884*——*—
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 Southern Maine Community College, approximately 25% 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.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the national median of 299 similar programs. Actual outcomes may vary.