Kentucky · Precision Metal Working

Best colleges for Precision Metal Working in Kentucky

Ranked by graduate earnings

Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College and Bluegrass Community and Technical College are the top Precision Metal Working programs in Kentucky by graduate earnings. Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $58,996, College Scorecard. Maysville Community and Technical College, Bluegrass Community and Technical College and Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College award the most Precision Metal Working degrees and certificates in Kentucky: 776, 581 and 448 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 18 Kentucky colleges offer Precision Metal Working and award 5,248 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Precision Metal Working program focuses on the skills and techniques needed for various metalworking occupations. This program is ideal for students interested in hands-on work involving machinery, fabrication, and assembly of metal…

Institutions
18
offering CIP 48.05
States offered
50
with a program page
Degrees / yr
5,248
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$41,415
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
10
College Scorecard
Median net price
$18,824
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
48%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Sheet Metal Workers
$63,790
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 10 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College
Bowling Green Public · Certificate
$58,99644858%—$9,413
2Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
Elizabethtown Public · Certificate
$53,17242559%—$7,166
3Bluegrass Community and Technical College
Lexington Public · Certificate
$46,13358143%—$10,684
4Owensboro Community and Technical College
Owensboro Public · Certificate
$45,36640854%—$7,475
5Gateway Community and Technical College
Florence Public · Certificate
$42,23338959%—$9,041
6Somerset Community College
Somerset Public · Certificate
$41,41538043%—$8,439
7Ashland Community and Technical College
Ashland Public · Certificate
$36,79624151%—$5,500
8Maysville Community and Technical College
Maysville Public · Certificate
$36,39477656%—$9,820
9West Kentucky Community and Technical College
Paducah Public · Certificate
$35,60332550%—$8,250
10Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College
Cumberland Public · Certificate
$30,56626847%——

Colleges awarding the most Precision Metal Working degrees in Kentucky

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Maysville Community and Technical College
Maysville Public
776$36,394
2Bluegrass Community and Technical College
Lexington Public
581$46,133
3Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College
Bowling Green Public
448$58,996
4Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
Elizabethtown Public
425$53,172
5Owensboro Community and Technical College
Owensboro Public
408$45,366
6Gateway Community and Technical College
Florence Public
389$42,233
7Somerset Community College
Somerset Public
380$41,415
8Jefferson Community and Technical College
Louisville Public
378Not reported
9West Kentucky Community and Technical College
Paducah Public
325$35,603
10Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College
Cumberland Public
268$30,566
Show the other 8 Kentucky colleges offering Precision Metal Working
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Ashland Community and Technical CollegeAshlandPublic241
Hopkinsville Community CollegeHopkinsvillePublic147
Kentucky Welding InstituteFlemingsburgPrivate for-profit138
Hazard Community and Technical CollegeHazardPublic111
Madisonville Community CollegeMadisonvillePublic106
Big Sandy Community and Technical CollegePrestonsburgPublic89
Henderson Community CollegeHendersonPublic37
Campbellsville UniversityCampbellsvillePrivate not-for-profit1

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Sheet Metal Workers (SOC 47-2211).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+2.4%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~10,600
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$60,850
typically High school diploma or equivalent

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingMonitoringMathematicsActive ListeningSpeaking

What Sheet Metal Workers earn in Kentucky

Jobs in Kentucky
2,210
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$63,790
median $60,680
Best-paying metro
$67,800
Paducah, KY-IL

Related careers

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
$48,770 avg · 7,290 jobs
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
$53,710 avg · 6,630 jobs
Machinists
$59,560 avg · 6,040 jobs
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
$57,820 avg · 5,510 jobs
Sheet Metal Workers
$63,790 avg · 2,210 jobs
Tool and Die Makers
$67,520 avg · 1,900 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Precision Metal Working programs in Kentucky.

Which Kentucky colleges award the most Precision Metal Working degrees?+

Maysville Community and Technical College (776 graduates a year), Bluegrass Community and Technical College (581 graduates a year) and Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College (448 graduates a year) award the most Precision Metal Working degrees and certificates in Kentucky, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 18 Kentucky colleges offer Precision Metal Working.

What is the best college for Precision Metal Working in Kentucky?+

By graduate earnings, Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College leads among Precision Metal Working programs in Kentucky, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $58,996, College Scorecard. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College and Bluegrass Community and Technical College follow. By degrees awarded, Maysville Community and Technical College is the largest, with 776 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Precision Metal Working program in Kentucky has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College tops the list at $58,996. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Sheet Metal Workers earn in Kentucky?+

The average annual wage for Sheet Metal Workers in Kentucky is $63,790 (median $60,680), across about 2,210 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Precision Metal Working program?+

The Precision Metal Working program focuses on the skills and techniques needed for various metalworking occupations. This program is ideal for students interested in hands-on work involving machinery, fabrication, and assembly of metal…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop reading comprehension, critical thinking, monitoring, mathematics, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Sheet Metal Workers?+

The national job outlook is about +2.4% growth with around 10,600 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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