Precision Metal Working programs in Montana
22 schools in Montana teach this, at certificate or associate level. 6 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $38,829 at Highlands College of Montana Tech.
What this work pays in Montana
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in Montana earn a median of $55,610 a year across 1,530 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 Montana |
|---|---|---|
| Machinists | $60,920 | 630 |
| Sheet Metal Workers | $61,420 | 410 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | $51,880 | 240 |
| Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, & Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic | $41,740 | 160 |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $48,490 | 130 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands College of Montana Tech Butte | Associate's degree | — | $38,829 (12 grads) | 12 |
| Montana Technological University Butte | Associate's degree | — | $38,829 (12 grads) | — |
| Flathead Valley Community College Kalispell | Associate's degree | — | $37,208 (12 grads) | 4 |
| Montana State University Billings Billings | Associate's degree | — | $36,848 (13 grads) | 13 |
| Helena College University of Montana Helena | Associate's degree | — | $34,847 (26 grads) | 13 |
| Montana State University Bozeman | Undergraduate certificate | — | $33,459 (17 grads) | 30 |
| The University of Montana Missoula | Associate's degree | — | not published | 8 |
| Aaniiih Nakoda College Harlem | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 7 |
| Aaniiih Nakoda College Harlem | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Dawson Community College Glendive | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 3 |
| Dawson Community College Glendive | Associate's degree | — | not published | 2 |
| Flathead Valley Community College Kalispell | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 11 |
| Fort Peck Community College Poplar | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Great Falls College Montana State University Great Falls | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 44 |
| Great Falls College Montana State University Great Falls | Associate's degree | — | not published | 13 |
| Helena College University of Montana Helena | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 24 |
| Highlands College of Montana Tech Butte | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 24 |
| Little Big Horn College Crow Agency | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Montana State University Billings Billings | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Montana State University-Northern Havre | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 20 |
| Montana Technological University Butte | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| The University of Montana Missoula | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 13 |
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.