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The differences between auto technicians and certified 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 technician and a certified technician. Additionally, a certified technician has an average salary of $52,208, which is higher than the $41,435 average annual salary of an auto technician.
The top three skills for an auto technician include taking care, preventive maintenance and customer vehicles. The most important skills for a certified technician are A+, patients, and patient care.
| Auto Technician | Certified Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $41,435 | $52,208 |
| Hourly rate | $19.92 | $25.10 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 131,515 | 140,083 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An auto technician specializes in performing inspections, repairs, and maintenance on different automotive vehicles ranging from small cars to light trucks. Their responsibilities revolve around identifying issues using various diagnostic tools to determine which course of action to take, discussing the extent of repairs to clients, and ordering car parts from suppliers. There are also instances when an auto technician may have the task of maintaining the cleanliness of the workplace, or participate in record-keeping and monitoring the inventory.
Certified technicians are technical professionals who perform technical tasks in the fields of applied science or engineering technology. These technicians are required to demonstrate their customer service skills and problem-solving abilities by resolving issues of customers immediately and efficiently. They must follow the dealership standards when performing work specified to maintenance and repair orders. They are required to work directly with customers to maximize equitable profitability for both the organization and their customers. Certified technicians must also possess detailed knowledge and experience in automobile mechanical works.
Auto technicians and certified technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Auto Technician | Certified Technician | |
| Average salary | $41,435 | $52,208 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $59,000 | Between $32,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sterling, VA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Deloitte | Connor Group |
| Best paying industry | Retail | - |
There are a few differences between an auto technician and a certified technician in terms of educational background:
| Auto Technician | Certified Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between auto technicians' and certified technicians' demographics:
| Auto Technician | Certified Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% | Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 5.0% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |