Auto body worker vs refinish technician

The differences between auto body workers and refinish technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a refinish technician has an average salary of $45,014, which is higher than the $43,244 average annual salary of an auto body worker.

The top three skills for an auto body worker include customer vehicles, body shop and water pumps. The most important skills for a refinish technician are paint brushes, body shop, and stencils.

Auto body worker vs refinish technician overview

	Auto Body Worker	Refinish Technician
Yearly salary	$43,244	$45,014
Hourly rate	$20.79	$21.64
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	27,162	28,813
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Auto body worker vs refinish technician salary

Auto body workers and refinish technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Auto Body Worker	Refinish Technician
Average salary	$43,244	$45,014
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $71,000	Between $31,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between auto body worker and refinish technician education

There are a few differences between an auto body worker and a refinish technician in terms of educational background:

	Auto Body Worker	Refinish Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Business	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Auto body worker vs refinish technician demographics

Here are the differences between auto body workers' and refinish technicians' demographics:

	Auto Body Worker	Refinish Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6%	Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between auto body worker and refinish technician duties and responsibilities

Auto body worker example responsibilities.

Operate automated welding machines and spot welding, mig brazing and soldering welding.
Prepare vehicles for painting using Bondo and primer.
Grind, hammer out, apply Bondo, sand out, and prime dents.
Transport metal parts, nut weld parts; Mig weld and used a hand gun welder.
Utilize sophisticate diagnostic equipment to troubleshoot and correct vehicle computer, electrical, and mechanical, problems.
Utilize sophisticate diagnostic equipment to troubleshoot and correct vehicle computer, electrical, and mechanical, problems.

Refinish technician example responsibilities.

Apply all primers, sealers, basecoats and top coats as required.
Compose written reports of data collect from patient evaluation and present to department chief for thorough analysis of patient diagnosis.
Experience with both PPG and DuPont paint mixing systems, their applications, and all paint prep processes.

Auto body worker vs refinish technician skills

Common auto body worker skills

Customer Vehicles, 56%
Body Shop, 10%
Water Pumps, 8%
Condensers, 6%
MIG, 5%
Body Panels, 3%

Common refinish technician skills

Paint Brushes, 38%
Body Shop, 20%
Stencils, 16%
I-Car, 9%
OEM, 8%
Coats, 3%

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Auto Body Worker vs Refinish Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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