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The differences between alignment technicians and lube technicians 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 lube technician. Additionally, an alignment technician has an average salary of $38,020, which is higher than the $29,959 average annual salary of a lube technician.
The top three skills for an alignment technician include customer service, hand tools and power steering. The most important skills for a lube technician are work ethic, customer service, and hand tools.
| Alignment Technician | Lube Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,020 | $29,959 |
| Hourly rate | $18.28 | $14.40 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 143,585 | 131,008 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 53% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| 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 Lube Technician specializes in automotive repairs and maintenance, focusing on lubricating particular engine parts. However, Lube Technicians can also conduct necessary inspection and maintenance of vehicles, change oil or filter, replace parts such as engines and batteries, and perform tire changes or inflation. A Lube Technician usually works as a member of a team or company, so it is essential to have efficient communication, coordination, attention to detail, and build rapport with clients to establish a client-base.
Alignment technicians and lube technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Alignment Technician | Lube Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,020 | $29,959 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $57,000 | Between $23,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Denver, CO |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Martin Marietta |
| Best paying industry | - | Retail |
There are a few differences between an alignment technician and a lube technician in terms of educational background:
| Alignment Technician | Lube Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 53% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between alignment technicians' and lube technicians' demographics:
| Alignment Technician | Lube Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.9% Female, 4.1% | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% |
| 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, 9.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |