Automotive refinish technician vs heavy vehicle technician

The differences between automotive refinish technicians and heavy vehicle technicians 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 heavy vehicle technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an automotive refinish technician has an average salary of $40,513, which is higher than the $38,006 average annual salary of a heavy vehicle technician.

The top three skills for an automotive refinish technician include R, PPG and dealership procedures. The most important skills for a heavy vehicle technician are DOT, hand tools, and CDL.

Automotive refinish technician vs heavy vehicle technician overview

	Automotive Refinish Technician	Heavy Vehicle Technician
Yearly salary	$40,513	$38,006
Hourly rate	$19.48	$18.27
Growth rate	2%	1%
Number of jobs	66,119	108,284
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 31%
Average age	42	40
Years of experience	4	2

Automotive refinish technician vs heavy vehicle technician salary

Automotive refinish technicians and heavy vehicle technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Automotive Refinish Technician	Heavy Vehicle Technician
Average salary	$40,513	$38,006
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $58,000	Between $27,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	-	Foster City, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Bruce Transportation Group
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between automotive refinish technician and heavy vehicle technician education

There are a few differences between an automotive refinish technician and a heavy vehicle technician in terms of educational background:

	Automotive Refinish Technician	Heavy Vehicle Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 31%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Automotive refinish technician vs heavy vehicle technician demographics

Here are the differences between automotive refinish technicians' and heavy vehicle technicians' demographics:

	Automotive Refinish Technician	Heavy Vehicle Technician
Average age	42	40
Gender ratio	Male, 98.0% Female, 2.0%	Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6%
Race ratio	Black 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, 9.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	2%

Differences between automotive refinish technician and heavy vehicle technician 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.

Heavy vehicle technician example responsibilities.

Hire specifically to test and troubleshoot main components and sub assemblies.
Work though rotation of all branches of auto troubleshooting, diagnosis, and repair.
Assign with diagnosis and repair of chassis, electrical, hydraulic and water pump systems.
Inspect, test, troubleshoot, repair and adjust electrical, hydraulic, fire control, mechanical and firing systems.
Demonstrate dependability and reliability by being punctual, working assign shifts, and completing responsibilities in a timely manner.
repair vehicles for a/c brakes, hybrid vehicles, transmissions, electronic and computer diag

Automotive refinish technician vs heavy vehicle technician skills

Common automotive refinish technician skills

R, 38%
PPG, 17%
Dealership Procedures, 15%
Painting Process, 15%
Coats, 15%

Common heavy vehicle technician skills

DOT, 12%
Hand Tools, 11%
CDL, 10%
Diagnosis, 5%
Electrical Troubleshooting, 4%
Preventive Maintenance, 4%

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Automotive Refinish Technician
Automotive Refinish Technician vs Heavy Vehicle Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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