Degree to Occupation Map
Occupations related to a precision metal working degree
NCES and BLS publish a crosswalk relating instructional programs to occupations. This page lists every occupation that crosswalk relates to precision metal working, with the BLS typical entry education, 2025 median wage and projected growth for each, and links to the RoleSprint page covering the role where one exists.
What occupations does the official crosswalk relate to a precision metal working degree?
The CIP 2020-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk published by NCES and BLS relates 9 CIP 2020 programs in precision metal working to 23 occupations. That maps a field of study to lines of work; it is not a statement that a precision metal working degree qualifies someone for any of them, and the crosswalk carries no figure for how many graduates enter each. Across the 23 with a published 2025 BLS wage the median is $50,620, ranging from $46,330 for Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic to $68,120 for Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers. BLS typical entry-level education splits 21 at high school diploma or equivalent, 2 at postsecondary nondegree award: 23 at or below a bachelor's degree and 0 above it. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers is projected to grow fastest at +5.9% over 2025-35. The highest-paid are Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers ($68,120), Tool and Die Makers ($64,050) and Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic ($63,870).
- Related occupations
- 23, from 9 CIP 2020 programs in precision metal working (a further 1 related occupation has no BLS or O*NET row on this site and are not listed)
- What the mapping means
- NCES states only that it "crosswalks 2020 CIP Codes to 2018 SOC Codes". It relates a program to an occupation. It does not establish qualification, hiring, or how many graduates take that path.
- BLS typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent: 21; Postsecondary nondegree award: 2
- Median wage across these occupations
- $50,620 (2025); 23 of 23 have a published BLS wage
- Next step
- 5 of the 23 occupations have a dedicated RoleSprint page covering what the role requires and how the work is performed.
Source and method
2020 CIP / 2018 SOC Crosswalk, National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Labor Statistics, and BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2. Verified 2026-09-06. Program-to-occupation relationships are reproduced from the NCES/BLS crosswalk exactly as published; RoleSprint groups CIP programs into the field of study a person would search for and lists the union of their related occupations, showing every member CIP code. Wage, typical entry education and outlook are reproduced from BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 for the matching SOC code. Working-condition figures are O*NET 30.3 means. No relationship strength, employment share or qualification judgement is published, because no source supplies one.
What this list is, and what it is not
The crosswalk's own description of itself is one sentence: “This file crosswalks 2020 CIP Codes to 2018 SOC Codes in ascending order by CIP Code.” It relates a field of study to lines of work.
It does not say a precision metal working degree qualifies anyone for these occupations, that graduates usually enter them, or what share do: the crosswalk publishes no such figure. The wage and education columns come from a separate source, BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, and describe the occupation rather than the degree. Typical entry education is what BLS observes most often among people already doing the work; it is not a rule about who may be hired.
The 23 related occupations
Ordered by BLS median wage, highest first. 23 of 23 have a published wage.
| Occupation | BLS typical entry-level education | Median wage | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers SOC 51-9162 Contact with others 3.4 · Time pressure 4.2 · Sitting 2.8 · Outdoors, all weather 1.4 of 5 | Postsecondary nondegree award At or below bachelor's | $68,120 2025 median | +5.9% 2025-35 · 2.7 openings/yr |
Tool and Die Makers SOC 51-4111 Contact with others 4.2 · Time pressure 4.3 · Sitting 1.8 · Outdoors, all weather 1.3 of 5 | Postsecondary nondegree award At or below bachelor's | $64,050 2025 median | -9.2% 2025-35 · 4.3 openings/yr |
Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic SOC 51-4192 Contact with others 3.8 · Time pressure 4.6 · Sitting 1.9 · Outdoors, all weather 2.2 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $63,870 2025 median | -3.4% 2025-35 · 0.5 openings/yr |
Model Makers, Metal and Plastic SOC 51-4061 Contact with others 3.3 · Time pressure 4.2 · Sitting 1.3 · Outdoors, all weather 1.1 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $63,340 2025 median | -17.3% 2025-35 · 0.2 openings/yr |
Sheet Metal Workers SOC 47-2211 Contact with others 3.7 · Time pressure 4.0 · Sitting 1.5 · Outdoors, all weather 2.5 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $61,800 2025 median | +2.5% 2025-35 · 9.8 openings/yr |
Machinists SOC 51-4041 Contact with others 3.8 · Time pressure 4.2 · Sitting 1.9 · Outdoors, all weather 1.3 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $58,750 2025 median | +1% 2025-35 · 26.1 openings/yr |
Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic SOC 51-4062 Contact with others 4.5 · Time pressure 4.5 · Sitting 2.2 · Outdoors, all weather 1.9 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $58,000 2025 median | -22.8% 2025-35 · 0.1 openings/yr |
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers SOC 51-4121 Contact with others 3.8 · Time pressure 4.5 · Sitting 2.5 · Outdoors, all weather 1.5 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $53,750 2025 median | +2.4% 2025-35 · 40.3 openings/yr |
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic SOC 51-4035 Contact with others 3.5 · Time pressure 4.1 · Sitting 1.5 · Outdoors, all weather 1.3 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $52,800 2025 median | -13.2% 2025-35 · 1 openings/yr |
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters SOC 51-2041 Contact with others 4.2 · Time pressure 4.3 · Sitting 1.8 · Outdoors, all weather 2.2 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $51,330 2025 median | -6.2% 2025-35 · 4.8 openings/yr |
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators SOC 51-9161 Contact with others 4.0 · Time pressure 4.4 · Sitting 1.6 · Outdoors, all weather 1.3 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $50,690 2025 median | -9.4% 2025-35 · 12.5 openings/yr |
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic SOC 51-4034 Contact with others 3.4 · Time pressure 3.3 · Sitting 1.7 · Outdoors, all weather 1.5 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $50,620 2025 median | -11.3% 2025-35 · 1.4 openings/yr |
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic SOC 51-4023 Contact with others 4.4 · Time pressure 4.4 · Sitting 1.7 · Outdoors, all weather 1.4 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $50,140 2025 median | -8.3% 2025-35 · 1.9 openings/yr |
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners SOC 51-4194 Contact with others 3.6 · Time pressure 4.0 · Sitting 1.5 · Outdoors, all weather 1.9 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $50,060 2025 median | -6.8% 2025-35 · 0.5 openings/yr |
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic SOC 51-4032 Contact with others 4.1 · Time pressure 4.3 · Sitting 2.1 · Outdoors, all weather 1.1 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $49,080 2025 median | -9.5% 2025-35 · 0.4 openings/yr |
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic SOC 51-4022 Contact with others 4.3 · Time pressure 4.5 · Sitting 2.1 · Outdoors, all weather 1.9 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $49,030 2025 median | -17.2% 2025-35 · 0.6 openings/yr |
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic SOC 51-4191 Contact with others 4.0 · Time pressure 4.6 · Sitting 1.7 · Outdoors, all weather 1.5 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $48,750 2025 median | -9.5% 2025-35 · 1.1 openings/yr |
Foundry Mold and Coremakers SOC 51-4071 Contact with others 4.3 · Time pressure 4.2 · Sitting 1.3 · Outdoors, all weather 2.5 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $48,110 2025 median | -23% 2025-35 · 0.8 openings/yr |
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders SOC 51-4122 Contact with others 3.7 · Time pressure 4.3 · Sitting 2.2 · Outdoors, all weather 1.7 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $47,920 2025 median | -8.9% 2025-35 · 2.5 openings/yr |
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic SOC 51-4021 Contact with others 3.5 · Time pressure 4.4 · Sitting 1.8 · Outdoors, all weather 1.4 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $47,720 2025 median | +0.7% 2025-35 · 5.4 openings/yr |
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic SOC 51-4081 Contact with others 4.0 · Time pressure 4.5 · Sitting 1.8 · Outdoors, all weather 1.1 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $47,180 2025 median | +0.6% 2025-35 · 11.6 openings/yr |
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic SOC 51-4033 Contact with others 3.5 · Time pressure 4.3 · Sitting 1.9 · Outdoors, all weather 1.5 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $46,550 2025 median | -10.8% 2025-35 · 4.5 openings/yr |
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic SOC 51-4031 Contact with others 3.1 · Time pressure 4.1 · Sitting 2.6 · Outdoors, all weather 1.4 of 5 | High school diploma or equivalent At or below bachelor's | $46,330 2025 median | -10.5% 2025-35 · 13.2 openings/yr |
The crosswalk relates 1 further occupation to this field (51-4199) for which BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 publishes no line item on this site. They are counted here rather than listed, because there would be nothing to show beside the name.
BLS typical entry-level education for these occupations
23 of the 23 have a BLS typical entry-level education at or below a bachelor's degree; 0 are above it. "Typical" is BLS's word: it describes the workers already in the occupation.
- High school diploma or equivalent
- 21
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- 2
This is BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2's description of the education most workers in each occupation typically hold when they enter it. It is not a list of requirements, and it says nothing about licences, certifications or experience, which BLS records separately and this page does not show.
Which programs this covers
“Precision metal working” groups 9 CIP 2020 instructional programs. The occupation list above is the union of everything the crosswalk relates to them.
- 48.0501 Machine Tool Technology/Machinist
- 48.0503 Machine Shop Technology/Assistant
- 48.0506 Sheet Metal Technology/Sheetworking
- 48.0507 Tool and Die Technology/Technician
- 48.0508 Welding Technology/Welder
- 48.0509 Ironworking/Ironworker
- 48.0510 Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist
- 48.0511 Metal Fabricator
- 48.0599 Precision Metal Working, Other
Grouping is RoleSprint's, and it is printed here so it can be checked. CIP's own grain is finer than the phrase anyone searches; the alternative is one page per code, which would put near-identical lists in front of the same question. How this map is built.
Working out which of these is realistic
A related occupation is a starting point, not a verdict. Three different questions decide whether one is worth pursuing, and each has its own page.
Program-to-occupation relationships from the 2020 CIP / 2018 SOC Crosswalk, National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wage, typical entry education and outlook from BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2. Working-condition figures from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA and RoleSprint has modified some of this information.
What to do next
A crosswalk relates a field of study to lines of work. Whether one specific opening is worth your time depends on what you can actually show, which is a different question and the one RoleSprint answers.