Auto garage mechanic vs technician

The differences between auto garage mechanics and 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 auto garage mechanic and a technician. Additionally, an auto garage mechanic has an average salary of $42,369, which is higher than the $38,045 average annual salary of a technician.

The top three skills for an auto garage mechanic include CDL, hand tools and hoists. The most important skills for a technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Auto garage mechanic vs technician overview

	Auto Garage Mechanic	Technician
Yearly salary	$42,369	$38,045
Hourly rate	$20.37	$18.29
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	38,612	596,842
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Auto garage mechanic vs technician salary

Auto garage mechanics and technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Auto Garage Mechanic	Technician
Average salary	$42,369	$38,045
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $72,000	Between $24,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	San Antonio, TX	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	California	Hawaii
Best paying company	WEC Energy Group	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Telecommunication

Differences between auto garage mechanic and technician education

There are a few differences between an auto garage mechanic and a technician in terms of educational background:

	Auto Garage Mechanic	Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Auto garage mechanic vs technician demographics

Here are the differences between auto garage mechanics' and technicians' demographics:

	Auto Garage Mechanic	Technician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 97.5% Female, 2.5%	Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between auto garage mechanic and technician duties and responsibilities

Auto garage mechanic example responsibilities.

Diagnose, repair and replace hydraulic controls, engine components, loader attachments, brakes and bearings using cranes and hoists.
Document repairs, modifications and inspections in accordance with FAA requirements on both paper and in an automate maintenance information database.
Install, repair, and service many kinds of garage doors and door openers.

Technician example responsibilities.

Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
Manage, troubleshot and repair multiple wireless technologies including fiber optic transmission switches.
Install peripherals including printers, fax machines, scanners, and smartphones.

Auto garage mechanic vs technician skills

Common auto garage mechanic skills

CDL, 35%
Hand Tools, 29%
Hoists, 12%
Diesel Engines, 6%
Diesel Trucks, 5%
Electrical Systems, 4%

Common technician skills

Patients, 16%
Customer Service, 14%
Patient Care, 8%
Hand Tools, 6%
Diagnosis, 5%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%

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Auto Garage Mechanic
Auto Garage Mechanic vs Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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