Precision Metal Working programs in Wisconsin
24 schools in Wisconsin teach this, at certificate or associate level. 20 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $45,435 at Fox Valley Technical College.
What this work pays in Wisconsin
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in Wisconsin earn a median of $58,410 a year across 15,320 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 Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| Machinists | $59,110 | 12,700 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | $52,690 | 8,330 |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $49,270 | 7,960 |
| Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, & Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic | $47,330 | 3,570 |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $47,700 | 3,570 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Valley Technical College Appleton | Undergraduate certificate | $6,577 | $45,435 (58 grads) | 374 |
| Madison Area Technical College Madison | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $44,189 (12 grads) | 91 |
| Chippewa Valley Technical College Eau Claire | Undergraduate certificate | $9,250 | $44,126 (91 grads) | 110 |
| Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Fennimore | Undergraduate certificate | $4,000 | $43,426 (42 grads) | 29 |
| Fox Valley Technical College Appleton | Associate's degree | — | $42,682 (19 grads) | 28 |
| Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac | Undergraduate certificate | $3,500 | $42,458 (52 grads) | 148 |
| Waukesha County Technical College Pewaukee | Associate's degree | — | $42,235 (17 grads) | 14 |
| Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee | Undergraduate certificate | $8,713 | $40,455 (52 grads) | 47 |
| Waukesha County Technical College Pewaukee | Undergraduate certificate | — | $40,365 (24 grads) | 88 |
| Western Technical College La Crosse | Undergraduate certificate | $5,916 | $39,489 (52 grads) | 53 |
| Lakeshore Technical College Cleveland | Undergraduate certificate | — | $39,369 (30 grads) | 74 |
| Northcentral Technical College Wausau | Associate's degree | — | $38,721 (12 grads) | 8 |
| Blackhawk Technical College Janesville | Undergraduate certificate | — | $38,649 (52 grads) | 110 |
| Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay | Undergraduate certificate | $5,500 | $37,947 (162 grads) | 109 |
| Mid-State Technical College Wisconsin Rapids | Undergraduate certificate | — | $37,671 (18 grads) | 37 |
| Northcentral Technical College Wausau | Undergraduate certificate | $3,500 | $36,793 (98 grads) | 121 |
| Northwood Technical College Rice Lake | Undergraduate certificate | $5,500 | $34,603 (73 grads) | 392 |
| Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee | Associate's degree | — | $33,993 (18 grads) | 9 |
| Gateway Technical College Kenosha | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $32,925 (21 grads) | 242 |
| Nicolet Area Technical College Rhinelander | Undergraduate certificate | — | $31,127 (22 grads) | 21 |
| Chippewa Valley Technical College Eau Claire | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| College of Menominee Nation Keshena | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| Western Technical College La Crosse | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
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.