Certificate (under 1 year)+50% vs national median224 grads tracked
Precision Metal Working at Saint Paul College - A Community & Technical College
Ranked 4th of 150 certificate (under 1 year) programs in Precision Metal Working by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$60,590
middle 50%: $48,399 – $82,479
Median · 5 years out
$80,436
middle 50%: $63,082 – $94,389
Median · 10 years out
$84,494
middle 50%: $65,353 – $100,954
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Precision Metal Working (certificate (under 1 year)) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Precision Metal Working certificate holders start with a median of $61k. This reaches $84k after ten years.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
5.1 yrs
≈ $5,571 total interest
Same major at other universities
Brazosport College
$89,563 · 5 yrs out
Lee College
$85,945 · 5 yrs out
Prairie State College
$83,557 · 5 yrs out
Emily Griffith Technical College
$76,305 · 5 yrs out
Sinclair Community College
$72,273 · 5 yrs out
Midland College
$70,713 · 5 yrs out
Frank Phillips College
$70,566 · 5 yrs out
Moraine Valley Community College
$69,384 · 5 yrs out
Springfield Technical Community College
$69,154 · 5 yrs out
Trident Technical College
$68,815 · 5 yrs out
San Jacinto Community College District
$68,098 · 5 yrs out
Kankakee Community College
$67,254 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Saint Paul College - A Community & Technical College
Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services (Certificate)
$110,315 · 5 yrs out
Construction Trades (Certificate)
$109,668 · 5 yrs out
Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services (Certificate)
$107,506 · 5 yrs out
Construction Trades (Certificate)
$102,499 · 5 yrs out
Precision Production (Certificate)
$81,807 · 5 yrs out
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$76,770 · 5 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate)
$70,870 · 5 yrs out
Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$69,154 · 5 yrs out
Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$68,626 · 5 yrs out
Precision Metal Working (Certificate)
$68,534 · 5 yrs out
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$68,045 · 5 yrs out
Precision Metal Working (Certificate)
$67,174 · 5 yrs out