Pennsylvania · Precision Metal Working

Best colleges for Precision Metal Working in Pennsylvania

Ranked by graduate earnings

Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, Pennsylvania College of Technology and Welder Training and Testing Institute are the top Precision Metal Working programs in Pennsylvania by graduate earnings. Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $52,298, College Scorecard. Philadelphia Technician Training, Universal Technical Institute of Pennsylvania Inc and Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology award the most Precision Metal Working degrees and certificates in Pennsylvania: 119, 115 and 91 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 39 Pennsylvania colleges offer Precision Metal Working and award 1,078 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
39
offering CIP 48.05
States offered
50
with a program page
Degrees / yr
1,078
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$38,191
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
12
College Scorecard
Median net price
$18,412
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
62%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Sheet Metal Workers
$72,910
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
1Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Lancaster Public · Associate degree
$52,2989171%—$12,000
2Pennsylvania College of Technology
Williamsport Public · Associate degree
$50,4028953%—$14,750
3Welder Training and Testing Institute
Allentown Private for-profit · Certificate
$47,5285085%$25,303$9,500
4Lancaster County Career and Technology Center
Willow Street Public · Certificate
$46,3312691%—$9,500
5Johnson College
Scranton Private not-for-profit · Certificate
$37,2432055%$20,807—
6Rosedale Technical College
Pittsburgh Private not-for-profit · Certificate
$32,0342081%$16,696$11,113
7New Castle School of Trades
New Castle Private for-profit · Certificate
$29,6555776%$7,553$9,378
8All-State Career School - Pittsburgh
West Mifflin Private for-profit · Certificate
$28,8932375%$14,661$12,999
9Philadelphia Technician Training
Philadelphia Private not-for-profit · Certificate
$15,98211950%$22,992$9,500
10Laurel Technical Institute
Hermitage Private for-profit · Certificate Small program
$39,2871573%$10,212—

Colleges awarding the most Precision Metal Working degrees in Pennsylvania

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)
1Philadelphia Technician Training
Philadelphia Private not-for-profit
119$15,982
2Universal Technical Institute of Pennsylvania Inc
Exton Private for-profit
115Not reported
3Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Lancaster Public
91$52,298
4Pennsylvania College of Technology
Williamsport Public
89$50,402
5Pennco Tech-Bristol
Bristol Private for-profit
88Not reported
6New Castle School of Trades
New Castle Private for-profit
57$29,655
7York County School of Technology - Adult & Continuing Education
York Public
54Not reported
8Welder Training and Testing Institute
Allentown Private for-profit
50$47,528
9Westmoreland County Community College
Youngwood Public
27Not reported
10Lancaster County Career and Technology Center
Willow Street Public
26$46,331
Show the other 29 Pennsylvania colleges offering Precision Metal Working
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Community College of Allegheny CountyPittsburghPublic52
Harrisburg Area Community CollegeHarrisburgPublic33
All-State Career School - PittsburghWest MifflinPrivate for-profit23
Delaware County Community CollegeMediaPublic20
Johnson CollegeScrantonPrivate not-for-profit20
Rosedale Technical CollegePittsburghPrivate not-for-profit20
Berks Career & Technology CenterLeesportPublic20
Greater Johnstown Career and Technology CenterJohnstownPublic17
Williamson College of the TradesMediaPrivate not-for-profit16
Laurel Technical InstituteHermitagePrivate for-profit15
Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and TechnologyPleasant GapPublic15
Greater Altoona Career & Technology CenterAltoonaPublic15
Commonwealth Technical InstituteJohnstownPrivate not-for-profit13
Laurel Technical InstituteUniontownPrivate for-profit12
Northampton County Area Community CollegeBethlehemPublic10
Schuylkill Technology CenterFrackvillePublic10
Luzerne County Community CollegeNanticokePublic9
Institute of Medical Careers (Online)PittsburghPrivate for-profit9
All-State Career SchoolEssingtonPrivate for-profit7
Indiana County Technology CenterIndianaPublic7
Penn Commercial Business/Technical SchoolWashingtonPrivate for-profit5
Susquehanna County Career and Technology CenterSpringvillePublic3
Butler County Community CollegeButlerPublic2
Fayette County Career & Technical Institute Practical Nursing ProgramUniontownPublic2
Somerset County Technology CenterSomersetPublic2
Lehigh Career & Technical InstituteSchnecksvillePublic2
Community College of Beaver CountyMonacaPublic1
Lehigh Carbon Community CollegeSchnecksvillePublic1
Jefferson County DuBois Area Vocational Technical SchoolReynoldsvillePublic1

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 Pennsylvania

Jobs in Pennsylvania
3,260
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$72,910
median $61,400
Best-paying metro
$80,970
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

Related careers

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
$56,300 avg · 17,850 jobs
Machinists
$57,080 avg · 12,380 jobs
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
$49,670 avg · 8,890 jobs
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
$48,770 avg · 7,960 jobs
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators
$56,360 avg · 7,840 jobs
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
$47,840 avg · 3,830 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Precision Metal Working programs in Pennsylvania.

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

Philadelphia Technician Training (119 graduates a year), Universal Technical Institute of Pennsylvania Inc (115 graduates a year) and Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology (91 graduates a year) award the most Precision Metal Working degrees and certificates in Pennsylvania, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 39 Pennsylvania colleges offer Precision Metal Working.

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

By graduate earnings, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology leads among Precision Metal Working programs in Pennsylvania, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $52,298, College Scorecard. Pennsylvania College of Technology and Welder Training and Testing Institute follow. By degrees awarded, Philadelphia Technician Training is the largest, with 119 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

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

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology tops the list at $52,298. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Sheet Metal Workers earn in Pennsylvania?+

The average annual wage for Sheet Metal Workers in Pennsylvania is $72,910 (median $61,400), across about 3,260 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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