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The differences between auto technicians and general service technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an auto technician, becoming a general service technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an auto technician has an average salary of $41,435, which is higher than the $28,048 average annual salary of a general service technician.
The top three skills for an auto technician include taking care, preventive maintenance and customer vehicles. The most important skills for a general service technician are customer service, maintenance services, and strong customer service.
| Auto Technician | General Service Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $41,435 | $28,048 |
| Hourly rate | $19.92 | $13.48 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 131,515 | 163,387 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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.
General service technicians are skilled employees who are responsible for performing maintenance duties for automobiles and other light vehicles. These technicians are required to interact with customers to discuss cost estimates for performing automotive maintenance services. They must conduct visual vehicle inspections and perform any necessary repairs or replacement of automotive parts. They are required to be skillful in operating machines that mount and balance the tires of vehicles. General service technicians must also check the electrical systems of vehicles and should know how to install car batteries.
Auto technicians and general service technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Auto Technician | General Service Technician | |
| Average salary | $41,435 | $28,048 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $59,000 | Between $21,000 And $35,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sterling, VA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Deloitte | All American Group |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an auto technician and a general service technician in terms of educational background:
| Auto Technician | General Service Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between auto technicians' and general service technicians' demographics:
| Auto Technician | General Service Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% | Male, 94.5% Female, 5.5% |
| 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, 10.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |