Certificate (under 1 year)+15% vs national median354 grads tracked
Precision Metal Working at Del Mar College
Ranked 23rd of 150 certificate (under 1 year) programs in Precision Metal Working by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$44,568
middle 50%: $31,518 – $63,671
Median · 5 years out
$61,827
middle 50%: $39,752 – $82,850
Median · 10 years out
$74,301
middle 50%: $54,333 – $108,135
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
Graduates in Precision Metal Working earn a median of $45k in their first year. Ten-year median salaries reach $74k.
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
6.8 yrs
≈ $7,673 total interest
Same major at other universities
Central Lakes College
$63,874 · 5 yrs out
Linn-Benton Community College
$63,029 · 5 yrs out
Riverland Community College
$62,818 · 5 yrs out
Casper College
$62,631 · 5 yrs out
Aiken Technical College
$62,322 · 5 yrs out
College of Lake County
$62,075 · 5 yrs out
Anoka Technical College
$61,655 · 5 yrs out
Odessa College
$61,630 · 5 yrs out
College of the Mainland
$61,121 · 5 yrs out
Quinebaug Valley Community College
$60,837 · 5 yrs out
Lamar Institute of Technology
$60,590 · 5 yrs out
Victoria College
$60,508 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Del Mar College
Physical Science Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$116,020 · 5 yrs out
Science Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$112,512 · 5 yrs out
Physical Science Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$101,251 · 5 yrs out
Science Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$99,192 · 5 yrs out
Fire Protection (Associate)
$93,589 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Associate)
$85,664 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics (Associate)
$85,664 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate)
$85,617 · 5 yrs out
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$79,787 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Associate)
$75,855 · 5 yrs out
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$75,063 · 5 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Certificate)
$74,110 · 5 yrs out