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The differences between automotive repair technicians and auto body technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an automotive repair technician has an average salary of $43,699, which is higher than the $39,232 average annual salary of an auto body technician.
The top three skills for an automotive repair technician include diagnosis, professional work and hand tools. The most important skills for an auto body technician are spray guns, customer service, and collision repair.
| Automotive Repair Technician | Auto Body Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $43,699 | $39,232 |
| Hourly rate | $21.01 | $18.86 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 160,366 | 17,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | High School Diploma, 45% |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
An automotive repair technician specializes in repairing and maintaining automotive equipment and systems. Part of their job requires them to communicate with clients to identify their needs, inspect the vehicles, conduct diagnostic and emission tests, troubleshoot problems, and replace or fix components as necessary. They also provide clients with cost estimates, discuss the extent of damages and needed repairs, and recommend other options or services. Moreover, as an automotive repair technician, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth workflow.
An auto body technician is responsible for assessing vehicle damage and conducting repairs after evaluating the cost estimates. Auto body technicians' duties include replacing auto parts, which caused malfunctions, determining the extent of damage, and testing the engine performance to ensure that it is safe for use after the appropriate modifications. Auto body technicians must also adhere to the client's specifications, especially on upgrading features and installing systems that would improve the engine's performance.
Automotive repair technicians and auto body technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automotive Repair Technician | Auto Body Technician | |
| Average salary | $43,699 | $39,232 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $63,000 | Between $27,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairfield, CA | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah | W&W |
| Best paying industry | Retail | - |
There are a few differences between an automotive repair technician and an auto body technician in terms of educational background:
| Automotive Repair Technician | Auto Body Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | High School Diploma, 45% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between automotive repair technicians' and auto body technicians' demographics:
| Automotive Repair Technician | Auto Body Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8% | Male, 95.2% Female, 4.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 5.0% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 1.7% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 4% |