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The differences between alignment technicians and light wheel mechanics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an alignment technician and a light wheel mechanic. Additionally, a light wheel mechanic has an average salary of $41,948, which is higher than the $38,020 average annual salary of an alignment technician.
The top three skills for an alignment technician include customer service, hand tools and power steering. The most important skills for a light wheel mechanic are mechanical problems, electrical systems, and equipment systems.
| Alignment Technician | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $38,020 | $41,948 |
| Hourly rate | $18.28 | $20.17 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 143,585 | 90,297 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Alignment Technicians are responsible for the alignment process of wheels and tires of a vehicle. Their duties include completing work repair orders, driving vehicles to the wheel alignment rack, and administering regular tests of the bent axle, bent steering rods, worn ball joints, and faulty wheel alignment. They are also involved in straightening axles, adjusting shims, straightening steering rods, and joining pins to undertake new parts installation or wheel alignment. They also perform counterweights hammering, shock absorber installations, and frame straightening. Other duties may include ensuring work complies with factory standards, attending product training by the manufacturer, and safely operating equipment and tools.
A light wheel mechanic is responsible for maintaining the optimal performance and efficiency of light-wheeled vehicles used for industrial operations, especially in a military setting. Light wheel mechanics inspect the condition of the vehicle's engine, perform preventive maintenance, replace defective components, assemble upgrade systems based on schematics and blueprints, and create resolution reports for reference. They must have excellent knowledge of the auto-mechanic industry to determine faults and identify repairs, avoiding delays, complications, and hazards during operations.
Alignment technicians and light wheel mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Alignment Technician | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $38,020 | $41,948 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $57,000 | Between $25,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an alignment technician and a light wheel mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Alignment Technician | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between alignment technicians' and light wheel mechanics' demographics:
| Alignment Technician | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.9% Female, 4.1% | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 5.8% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 2.5% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |