Tennessee · Precision Metal Working

Best colleges for Precision Metal Working in Tennessee

Ranked by graduate earnings

Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Jackson, Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Murfreesboro and Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Shelbyville are the top Precision Metal Working programs in Tennessee by graduate earnings. Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Jackson leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $43,864, College Scorecard. Nashville Auto-Diesel College, Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Knoxville and Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville award the most Precision Metal Working degrees and certificates in Tennessee: 190, 129 and 99 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 26 Tennessee colleges offer Precision Metal Working and award 1,504 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
26
offering CIP 48.05
States offered
50
with a program page
Degrees / yr
1,504
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$38,096
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
21
College Scorecard
Median net price
$28,799
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
71%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Sheet Metal Workers
$59,390
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
1Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Jackson
Jackson Public · Certificate
$43,8647780%——
2Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro Public · Certificate
$42,6885776%——
3Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Shelbyville
Shelbyville Public · Certificate
$40,6056681%——
4Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Knoxville
Knoxville Public · Certificate
$39,05412971%——
5Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Pulaski
Pulaski Public · Certificate
$38,2683175%——
6Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Morristown
Morristown Public · Certificate
$38,0968980%——
7Nashville Auto-Diesel College
Nashville Private for-profit · Certificate
$37,24919068%$28,799$9,429
8Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Hartsville
Hartsville Public · Certificate
$36,2835482%——
9Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Upper Cumberland
Crossville Public · Certificate
$35,2882784%——
10Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Memphis
Memphis Public · Certificate
$34,7508855%——

Colleges awarding the most Precision Metal Working degrees in Tennessee

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)
1Nashville Auto-Diesel College
Nashville Private for-profit
190$37,249
2Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Knoxville
Knoxville Public
129$39,054
3Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville
Nashville Public
99$34,295
4Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Morristown
Morristown Public
89$38,096
5Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Memphis
Memphis Public
88$34,750
6Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Jackson
Jackson Public
77$43,864
7Tennessee College of Applied Technology Northwest
Newbern Public
73$34,728
8Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Shelbyville
Shelbyville Public
66$40,605
9Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Dickson
Dickson Public
65Not reported
10Northeast State Community College
Blountville Public
60Not reported
Show the other 16 Tennessee colleges offering Precision Metal Working

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 Tennessee

Jobs in Tennessee
1,850
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$59,390
median $59,170
Best-paying metro
$62,750
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

Related careers

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
$50,450 avg · 12,510 jobs
Machinists
$53,180 avg · 8,270 jobs
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
$43,980 avg · 5,380 jobs
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
$47,590 avg · 2,980 jobs
Tool and Die Makers
$61,420 avg · 2,930 jobs
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
$51,950 avg · 2,260 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Precision Metal Working programs in Tennessee.

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

Nashville Auto-Diesel College (190 graduates a year), Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Knoxville (129 graduates a year) and Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville (99 graduates a year) award the most Precision Metal Working degrees and certificates in Tennessee, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 26 Tennessee colleges offer Precision Metal Working.

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

By graduate earnings, Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Jackson leads among Precision Metal Working programs in Tennessee, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $43,864, College Scorecard. Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Murfreesboro and Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Shelbyville follow. By degrees awarded, Nashville Auto-Diesel College is the largest, with 190 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

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

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Jackson tops the list at $43,864. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Sheet Metal Workers earn in Tennessee?+

The average annual wage for Sheet Metal Workers in Tennessee is $59,390 (median $59,170), across about 1,850 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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