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The differences between auto mechanics and light wheel mechanics 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 mechanic and a light wheel mechanic. Additionally, a light wheel mechanic has an average salary of $41,948, which is higher than the $41,683 average annual salary of an auto mechanic.
The top three skills for an auto mechanic include customer vehicles, customer service and diagnosis. The most important skills for a light wheel mechanic are mechanical problems, electrical systems, and equipment systems.
| Auto Mechanic | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $41,683 | $41,948 |
| Hourly rate | $20.04 | $20.17 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 95,553 | 90,297 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An auto mechanic's role is to repair and maintain automotive vehicles, ensuring that they function efficiently and safely. They are primarily responsible for discussing issues with clients, inspecting vehicles to identify the root of problems, performing test drives, and conducting corrective measures. Sometimes this is done in collaboration with other mechanics to ensure accuracy and speed. They can also replace oil, brakes, and even other fluids. Moreover, an auto mechanic must inform the extent of repairs to clients, letting them know which parts need replacement or fixes.
A light wheel mechanic is responsible for maintaining the optimal performance and efficiency of light-wheeled vehicles used for industrial operations, especially in a military setting. Light wheel mechanics inspect the condition of the vehicle's engine, perform preventive maintenance, replace defective components, assemble upgrade systems based on schematics and blueprints, and create resolution reports for reference. They must have excellent knowledge of the auto-mechanic industry to determine faults and identify repairs, avoiding delays, complications, and hazards during operations.
Auto mechanics and light wheel mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Auto Mechanic | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $41,683 | $41,948 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $59,000 | Between $25,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | - |
| Best paying company | City of Detroit | - |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between an auto mechanic and a light wheel mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Auto Mechanic | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between auto mechanics' and light wheel mechanics' demographics:
| Auto Mechanic | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.4% Female, 3.6% | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 5.0% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 2.5% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |