Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Wayne County Schools Career Center

Est. Earnings (1yr)

$38,713

Est. from OH median (14 programs)

Est. Median Debt

$6,203

Est. from OH median (4 programs)

Analysis

The debt picture here looks manageable—programs similar to Wayne County's certificate typically saddle students with around $6,200, compared to $9,500 across Ohio's precision metalworking programs. That's nearly 40% less debt than the state norm, and with first-year earnings from comparable Ohio programs landing around $38,700, you're looking at a debt burden equivalent to just two months' salary. The four-year earnings figure of $47,217 shows meaningful wage progression, suggesting skills that command better pay over time.

What's less certain is whether Wayne County's program performs closer to the state median or to Ohio's top programs, which launch graduates into the $42,000-$45,000 range right away. The difference matters: starting at $45,000 instead of $38,700 means an extra $6,000 annually. Given that 65% of students here receive Pell grants, that gap could significantly affect financial stability for working-class families. The program appears positioned in the middle of Ohio's pack—not leading it, but clearing a reasonable bar for career preparation.

For families weighing this investment, the low debt relative to quick earning potential tilts favorably. But because these figures come from peer programs rather than Wayne County's actual outcomes, visit the campus and ask directly: where do their recent graduates work, and what do they earn? Those conversations will tell you whether this program truly delivers on its promise.

Where Wayne County Schools Career Center Stands

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

Earnings Over Time

How earnings evolve from 1 year to 4 years after graduation

School	1 Year	4 Years	Growth
Wayne County Schools Career Center	—	$47,217	—
Career and Technology Education Centers of Licking County	$38,709	$49,393	+28%
Elite Welding Academy South Point	$38,717	$48,013	+24%
Elite Welding Academy LLC	$38,717	$48,013	+24%
Hobart Institute of Welding Technology	$45,370	$47,472	+5%

Compare to Similar Programs in Ohio

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Ohio (61 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)*	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Wayne County Schools Career CenterSmithville	—	$38,713*	$47,217	$6,203*	—
Hobart Institute of Welding TechnologyTroy	—	$45,370*	$47,472	$5,500*	0.12
Butler Technology and Career Development SchoolsMonroe	—	$42,625*	—	$6,327*	0.15
Great Oaks Career CampusesCincinnati	—	$41,277*	$38,354	$6,078*	0.15
Fortis College-Cuyahoga FallsCuyahoga Falls	$14,050	$39,990*	$35,129	—*	—
Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical SchoolsGroveport	—	$39,328*	$44,145	$6,485*	0.16
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 Wayne County Schools Career Center, 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.

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 median of 14 similar programs in OH. Actual outcomes may vary.