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The differences between auto detailers and car cleaners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a car cleaner has an average salary of $29,423, which is higher than the $28,746 average annual salary of an auto detailer.
The top three skills for an auto detailer include shampoo carpets, general maintenance and service tools. The most important skills for a car cleaner are clean windows, vehicle damage, and customer service.
| Auto Detailer | Car Cleaner | |
| Yearly salary | $28,746 | $29,423 |
| Hourly rate | $13.82 | $14.15 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 11,018 | 41,909 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 57% | High School Diploma, 59% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
An auto or car detailer is an employee who provides internal and external cleaning services for vehicles according to the clients' needs. Auto detailers provide the necessary cleaning services that can include steaming the interiors, vacuuming the carpets, and applying waxes and polishes. They are required to perform inspections of vehicles and provide accurate records of the vehicle's condition. By clients' requests, auto detailers must also move and park the clients' vehicles or deliver them to a specific location.
Car Cleaners are Responsible for cleaning and washing vehicles for their exterior and interior. Their duties include greeting customers, soap application, cleaning dirt and spraying rims and tires, spray windows using cleaning agent, wax application, rinsing away soap, car debris removal, vacuuming to suck debris and dirt, applying upholstery cleaner for stains and dirt removal, rear window cleaning, as well as cleaning console and dash using a soft cloth. Other duties include processing payments, managing the cash register, ensuring vehicle valuables remain undisturbed, delivering receipt, directing the client to the car after service, and handling customer complaints.
Auto detailers and car cleaners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Auto Detailer | Car Cleaner | |
| Average salary | $28,746 | $29,423 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $35,000 | Between $23,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | SeaTac, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Chemung Arc | DXC Technology |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an auto detailer and a car cleaner in terms of educational background:
| Auto Detailer | Car Cleaner | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 57% | High School Diploma, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between auto detailers' and car cleaners' demographics:
| Auto Detailer | Car Cleaner | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 4.5% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 13.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |