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The differences between automotive mechanics and auto 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 automotive mechanic and an auto technician. Additionally, an automotive mechanic has an average salary of $42,864, which is higher than the $41,435 average annual salary of an auto technician.
The top three skills for an automotive mechanic include customer service, work ethic and hand tools. The most important skills for an auto technician are taking care, preventive maintenance, and customer vehicles.
| Automotive Mechanic | Auto Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $42,864 | $41,435 |
| Hourly rate | $20.61 | $19.92 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 95,703 | 131,515 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 2 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An automotive mechanic is responsible for inspecting the vehicle's engine, identifying defects and inconsistencies, and repairing malfunctioning components through diagnostic tests. Automotive mechanics diagnose problems and inform the customers of troubleshooting procedures and provide cost estimates for maintenance. They may also offer additional services to boost the engine's optimal performance and efficiency, at the same time, to generate more revenues for the business. An automotive mechanic must have excellent knowledge of the automotive industry, especially in responding to the inquiries and concerns of the customers regarding their vehicles and schedule regular repairs as necessary.
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.
Automotive mechanics and auto technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automotive Mechanic | Auto Technician | |
| Average salary | $42,864 | $41,435 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $59,000 | Between $28,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Greeley, CO | Sterling, VA |
| Highest paying state | Colorado | Washington |
| Best paying company | Eversource Energy | Deloitte |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Retail |
There are a few differences between an automotive mechanic and an auto technician in terms of educational background:
| Automotive Mechanic | Auto Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between automotive mechanics' and auto technicians' demographics:
| Automotive Mechanic | Auto Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.4% Female, 3.6% | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 5.0% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |