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The differences between automotive detailers and car cleaners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a car cleaner has an average salary of $29,423, which is higher than the $28,357 average annual salary of an automotive detailer.
The top three skills for an automotive detailer include work ethic, cleanliness and customer vehicles. The most important skills for a car cleaner are clean windows, vehicle damage, and customer service.
| Automotive Detailer | Car Cleaner | |
| Yearly salary | $28,357 | $29,423 |
| Hourly rate | $13.63 | $14.15 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 37,088 | 41,909 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 51% | High School Diploma, 59% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
An automotive detailer typically works at car shops and dealerships, where they primarily focus on the upkeep of a car's interior and exterior. Their responsibilities revolve around understanding the clients' needs and preferences, cleaning the vehicles according to protocols and client requests, scraping off dirt, coordinating with paint technicians and mechanics, operating devices and machinery such as vacuums and buffers, and adhering to timelines and budgets. Moreover, an automotive detailer also monitors the inventory of supplies and handles calls and correspondence.
Car Cleaners are Responsible for cleaning and washing vehicles for their exterior and interior. Their duties include greeting customers, soap application, cleaning dirt and spraying rims and tires, spray windows using cleaning agent, wax application, rinsing away soap, car debris removal, vacuuming to suck debris and dirt, applying upholstery cleaner for stains and dirt removal, rear window cleaning, as well as cleaning console and dash using a soft cloth. Other duties include processing payments, managing the cash register, ensuring vehicle valuables remain undisturbed, delivering receipt, directing the client to the car after service, and handling customer complaints.
Automotive detailers and car cleaners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automotive Detailer | Car Cleaner | |
| Average salary | $28,357 | $29,423 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $35,000 | Between $23,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | SeaTac, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Mars | DXC Technology |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an automotive detailer and a car cleaner in terms of educational background:
| Automotive Detailer | Car Cleaner | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 51% | High School Diploma, 59% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between automotive detailers' and car cleaners' demographics:
| Automotive Detailer | Car Cleaner | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 13.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |