Precision Metal Working (Associate's Degree) at Triangle Tech Inc-Dubois

Median Earnings (1yr)

$36,352

21st percentile

40th percentile in Pennsylvania

Median Debt

$12,000

At national median

Analysis

Triangle Tech-DuBois gets students into the workforce affordably, but there are stronger options within Pennsylvania's precision metalworking landscape. Starting at $36,352, graduates earn about $5,000 less than the state median for this field, landing around the 40th percentile among PA programs. Compare that to Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, where graduates start at $52,298—nearly $16,000 more annually. The bright spot here is debt: at $12,000, it's below Pennsylvania's typical $13,944 and represents just four months of first-year income.

The 23% earnings jump to $44,637 by year four shows this program builds marketable skills, even if the starting point lags. For families prioritizing low debt over maximum earnings potential, that $12,000 figure matters—especially since over half of students receive Pell grants, suggesting this school serves price-sensitive families. But if your child can access Pennsylvania College of Technology or Thaddeus Stevens, which both start graduates $6,000-$16,000 higher, the lifetime earnings difference likely outweighs any modest tuition premium.

The practical question: are you banking on low debt or betting on higher earnings? Triangle Tech-DuBois delivers the former reliably, but Pennsylvania's precision metalworking programs show that comparable associate's degrees can launch graduates into significantly higher pay brackets from day one.

Where Triangle Tech Inc-Dubois Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Triangle Tech Inc-Dubois 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
Triangle Tech Inc-Dubois	$36,352	$44,637	+23%
Pennsylvania College of Technology	$50,402	$55,060	+9%
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology	$52,298	$54,954	+5%
Pittsburgh Technical College	$39,573	$50,258	+27%
Triangle Tech Inc-Greensburg	$40,225	$45,784	+14%

Compare to Similar Programs in Pennsylvania

Precision Metal Working associates's programs at peer institutions in Pennsylvania (22 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt	Debt/Earnings
Triangle Tech Inc-DuboisFalls Creek	$18,575	$36,352	$44,637	$12,000	0.33
Thaddeus Stevens College of TechnologyLancaster	$9,050	$52,298	$54,954	$12,000	0.23
Pennsylvania College of TechnologyWilliamsport	$17,940	$50,402	$55,060	$14,750	0.29
New Castle School of TradesNew Castle	—	$43,671	$43,303	$9,931	0.23
Triangle Tech Inc-GreensburgGreensburg	$18,513	$40,225	$45,784	$18,262	0.45
Triangle Tech Inc-BethlehemBethlehem	$18,593	$40,225	$45,784	$18,262	0.45
National Median	—	$41,504	—	$12,000	0.29

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 Triangle Tech Inc-Dubois, approximately 56% 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 67 graduates with reported earnings and 71 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.