Precision Metal Working programs in Iowa
27 schools in Iowa teach this, at certificate or associate level. 10 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $47,513 at Indian Hills Community College.
What this work pays in Iowa
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in Iowa earn a median of $55,090 a year across 9,270 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.
| Also leads to | Median | Jobs in Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | $52,300 | 4,750 |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $48,910 | 4,460 |
| Machinists | $57,540 | 2,880 |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $48,240 | 2,030 |
| Sheet Metal Workers | $66,460 | 1,650 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa | Associate's degree | — | $47,513 (15 grads) | 8 |
| Hawkeye Community College Waterloo | Associate's degree | — | $44,942 (22 grads) | 13 |
| North Iowa Area Community College Mason City | Associate's degree | — | $42,682 (16 grads) | 7 |
| Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids | Associate's degree | $12,000 | $41,342 (27 grads) | 22 |
| Hawkeye Community College Waterloo | Undergraduate certificate | $6,800 | $38,829 (38 grads) | 68 |
| Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar | Undergraduate certificate | $5,446 | $37,928 (49 grads) | 23 |
| Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny | Undergraduate certificate | $5,500 | $36,938 (42 grads) | 279 |
| Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge | Undergraduate certificate | — | $35,274 (22 grads) | 34 |
| Southeastern Community College West Burlington | Associate's degree | — | $34,171 (14 grads) | 20 |
| North Iowa Area Community College Mason City | Undergraduate certificate | — | $27,439 (14 grads) | 33 |
| Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny | Associate's degree | — | not published | 17 |
| Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs | Undergraduate certificate | $5,500 | not published | 85 |
| Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 41 |
| Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport | Associate's degree | — | not published | 5 |
| Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 56 |
| Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| Iowa Lakes Community College Estherville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 10 |
| Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 5 |
| Marshalltown Community College Marshalltown | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 93 |
| Marshalltown Community College Marshalltown | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Northwest Iowa Community College Sheldon | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 8 |
| Northwest Iowa Community College Sheldon | Associate's degree | — | not published | 2 |
| Southeastern Community College West Burlington | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 55 |
| Southwestern Community College Creston | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 36 |
| Southwestern Community College Creston | Associate's degree | — | not published | 5 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 34 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City | Associate's degree | — | not published | 9 |
A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.
Email me when these figures change
The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Precision Metal Working — nothing else, and nothing in between.
Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.