Washington · Precision Metal Working

Best colleges for Precision Metal Working in Washington

Ranked by graduate earnings

Clark College, Perry Technical Institute and Spokane Community College are the top Precision Metal Working programs in Washington by graduate earnings. Clark College leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $46,609, College Scorecard. Peninsula College, Clover Park Technical College and Clark College award the most Precision Metal Working degrees and certificates in Washington: 194, 124 and 119 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 22 Washington colleges offer Precision Metal Working and award 1,369 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
22
offering CIP 48.05
States offered
50
with a program page
Degrees / yr
1,369
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$35,309
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
4
College Scorecard
Median net price
$24,069
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
40%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Sheet Metal Workers
$101,200
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 4 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
1Clark College
Vancouver Public · Associate degree
$46,60911939%——
2Perry Technical Institute
Yakima Private not-for-profit · Certificate
$41,3016079%$24,069$8,390
3Spokane Community College
Spokane Public · Certificate
$35,3099333%—$9,500
4Olympic College
Bremerton Public · Associate degree
$23,54811331%——

Colleges awarding the most Precision Metal Working degrees in Washington

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)
1Peninsula College
Port Angeles Public
194Not reported
2Clover Park Technical College
Lakewood Public
124Not reported
3Clark College
Vancouver Public
119$46,609
4Olympic College
Bremerton Public
113$23,548
5Spokane Community College
Spokane Public
93$35,309
6Bellingham Technical College
Bellingham Public
87Not reported
7South Seattle College
Seattle Public
81Not reported
8Everett Community College
Everett Public
80Not reported
9Lake Washington Institute of Technology
Kirkland Public
73Not reported
10Walla Walla Community College
Walla Walla Public
67Not reported
Show the other 12 Washington colleges offering Precision Metal Working
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Perry Technical InstituteYakimaPrivate not-for-profit60
South Puget Sound Community CollegeOlympiaPublic58
Bates Technical CollegeTacomaPublic55
Renton Technical CollegeRentonPublic47
Green River CollegeAuburnPublic40
Lower Columbia CollegeLongviewPublic16
Skagit Valley CollegeMount VernonPublic16
Grays Harbor CollegeAberdeenPublic13
Columbia Basin CollegePascoPublic12
Centralia CollegeCentraliaPublic11
Big Bend Community CollegeMoses LakePublic8
Wenatchee Valley CollegeWenatcheePublic2

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 Washington

Jobs in Washington
3,440
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$101,200
median $98,550
Best-paying metro
$108,590
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

Related careers

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
$66,340 avg · 7,720 jobs
Machinists
$71,510 avg · 6,880 jobs
Sheet Metal Workers
$101,200 avg · 3,440 jobs
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators
$96,960 avg · 2,270 jobs
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
$53,290 avg · 1,870 jobs
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
$55,150 avg · 1,750 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Precision Metal Working programs in Washington.

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

Peninsula College (194 graduates a year), Clover Park Technical College (124 graduates a year) and Clark College (119 graduates a year) award the most Precision Metal Working degrees and certificates in Washington, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 22 Washington colleges offer Precision Metal Working.

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

By graduate earnings, Clark College leads among Precision Metal Working programs in Washington, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $46,609, College Scorecard. Perry Technical Institute and Spokane Community College follow. By degrees awarded, Peninsula College is the largest, with 194 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

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

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Clark College tops the list at $46,609. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Sheet Metal Workers earn in Washington?+

The average annual wage for Sheet Metal Workers in Washington is $101,200 (median $98,550), across about 3,440 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.

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation

Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card