Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between automotive mechanics and heavy duty 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 automotive mechanic and a heavy duty mechanic. Additionally, a heavy duty mechanic has an average salary of $49,563, which is higher than the $42,864 average annual salary of an automotive mechanic.
The top three skills for an automotive mechanic include customer service, work ethic and hand tools. The most important skills for a heavy duty mechanic are CDL, hand tools, and preventive maintenance.
| Automotive Mechanic | Heavy Duty Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $42,864 | $49,563 |
| Hourly rate | $20.61 | $23.83 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 95,703 | 51,609 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| 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.
Heavy-duty mechanics are skilled employees who are responsible for providing repairs and maintenance of mobile heavy-duty construction equipment. These mechanics must perform inspections on equipment such as bulldozers, cranes, and other heavy construction equipment to detect faults and malfunctions to ensure proper performance. They must test the repaired equipment to ensure that the repair works meet the specifications of the manufacturers. Heavy-duty mechanics must also provide a safe working environment and take special precautions to protect themselves against work-related injuries.
Automotive mechanics and heavy duty mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automotive Mechanic | Heavy Duty Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $42,864 | $49,563 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $59,000 | Between $36,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Greeley, CO | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Colorado | Washington |
| Best paying company | Eversource Energy | Granite Construction |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Construction |
There are a few differences between an automotive mechanic and a heavy duty mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Automotive Mechanic | Heavy Duty Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between automotive mechanics' and heavy duty mechanics' demographics:
| Automotive Mechanic | Heavy Duty Mechanic | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.4% Female, 3.6% | Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2% |
| 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, 7.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |