Auto inspector vs emissions testing technician

The differences between auto inspectors and emissions testing 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 inspector and an emissions testing technician. Additionally, an emissions testing technician has an average salary of $48,515, which is higher than the $43,511 average annual salary of an auto inspector.

The top three skills for an auto inspector include mechanical problems, vehicle inspections and mechanical issues. The most important skills for an emissions testing technician are emission test, DOT, and dynamometers.

Auto inspector vs emissions testing technician overview

	Auto Inspector	Emissions Testing Technician
Yearly salary	$43,511	$48,515
Hourly rate	$20.92	$23.32
Growth rate	-	1%
Number of jobs	21,496	25,097
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	Associate Degree, 37%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	2	2

Auto inspector vs emissions testing technician salary

Auto inspectors and emissions testing technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Auto Inspector	Emissions Testing Technician
Average salary	$43,511	$48,515
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $74,000	Between $31,000 And $75,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between auto inspector and emissions testing technician education

There are a few differences between an auto inspector and an emissions testing technician in terms of educational background:

	Auto Inspector	Emissions Testing Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	Associate Degree, 37%
Most common major	Business	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Auto inspector vs emissions testing technician demographics

Here are the differences between auto inspectors' and emissions testing technicians' demographics:

	Auto Inspector	Emissions Testing Technician
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0%	Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 7.8% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 7.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 5.8% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between auto inspector and emissions testing technician duties and responsibilities

Auto inspector example responsibilities.

Perform preventive maintenance and complete all repairs on Marta buses by routinely maintaining and upgrading bus parts as they deteriorate.
Inspect certify pre own eligibility vehicles at Toyota and Lexus automotive dealers.
Inspect certify pre own eligibility vehicles at Toyota and Lexus automotive dealers.

Emissions testing technician example responsibilities.

Operate dynamometers on diesel engines, testing emission systems for``on and off"road application.
Work with thermocouple installation as well as wiring harness troubleshooting and run complex testing and sequences set-ups.
Compose written reports of data collect from patient evaluation and present to department chief for thorough analysis of patient diagnosis.
Repair or replace shock absorbers.

Auto inspector vs emissions testing technician skills

Common auto inspector skills

Mechanical Problems, 38%
Vehicle Inspections, 24%
Mechanical Issues, 15%
Applicable Safety, 10%
Auto Damage, 7%
Detect Damage, 2%

Common emissions testing technician skills

Emission Test, 42%
DOT, 25%
Dynamometers, 9%
Customer Service, 8%
Vehicle Emissions, 8%
EPA, 6%

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Auto Inspector vs Emissions Testing Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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