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Automotive refinish technician vs front end mechanic

The differences between automotive refinish technicians and front end mechanics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an automotive refinish technician, becoming a front end mechanic takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a front end mechanic has an average salary of $44,190, which is higher than the $40,513 average annual salary of an automotive refinish technician.

The top three skills for an automotive refinish technician include R, PPG and dealership procedures. The most important skills for a front end mechanic are front end, service desk, and javascript.

Automotive refinish technician vs front end mechanic overview

Automotive Refinish TechnicianFront End Mechanic
Yearly salary$40,513$44,190
Hourly rate$19.48$21.25
Growth rate2%1%
Number of jobs66,11980,680
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 40%High School Diploma, 37%
Average age4240
Years of experience42

Automotive refinish technician vs front end mechanic salary

Automotive refinish technicians and front end mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.

Automotive Refinish TechnicianFront End Mechanic
Average salary$40,513$44,190
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $58,000Between $33,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between automotive refinish technician and front end mechanic education

There are a few differences between an automotive refinish technician and a front end mechanic in terms of educational background:

Automotive Refinish TechnicianFront End Mechanic
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 40%High School Diploma, 37%
Most common majorAutomotive TechnologyBusiness
Most common college--

Automotive refinish technician vs front end mechanic demographics

Here are the differences between automotive refinish technicians' and front end mechanics' demographics:

Automotive Refinish TechnicianFront End Mechanic
Average age4240
Gender ratioMale, 98.0% Female, 2.0%Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 22.5% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage4%2%

Differences between automotive refinish technician and front end mechanic duties and responsibilities

Automotive refinish technician example responsibilities.

  • Inspect cars, service and repairs specializing in BMW repairs, manage shop, price and order parts, customer service
  • Implement PLC programming and troubleshooting procedures while also initiating and executing process improvements and conducting parts research when necessary.
  • Disassemble components and repair or replace damage parts of engine, transmission, a/c and various other assemblies.

Front end mechanic example responsibilities.

  • Achieve traffic tracking and SEO with multiple satellite web sites.
  • Handle all cash, checks, and WIC.
  • Perform cash handling transactions through POS systems.
  • Assist Costco members throughout the warehouse to ensure customer satisfaction.
  • Promote Costco memberships in order to maximize profits for company and returns for Costco members.
  • Help customers with finding products, bag customer's groceries, and retrieve shopping carts from the parking lot.
  • Show more

Automotive refinish technician vs front end mechanic skills

Common automotive refinish technician skills
  • R, 38%
  • PPG, 17%
  • Dealership Procedures, 15%
  • Painting Process, 15%
  • Coats, 15%
Common front end mechanic skills
  • Front End, 43%
  • Service Desk, 11%
  • JavaScript, 9%
  • Groceries, 8%
  • HTML, 6%
  • GIT, 3%

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