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The differences between automotive repair technicians 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 repair technician and an auto technician. Additionally, an automotive repair technician has an average salary of $43,699, which is higher than the $41,435 average annual salary of an auto technician.
The top three skills for an automotive repair technician include diagnosis, professional work and hand tools. The most important skills for an auto technician are taking care, preventive maintenance, and customer vehicles.
| Automotive Repair Technician | Auto Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $43,699 | $41,435 |
| Hourly rate | $21.01 | $19.92 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 160,366 | 131,515 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 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 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 repair technicians and auto technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automotive Repair Technician | Auto Technician | |
| Average salary | $43,699 | $41,435 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $63,000 | Between $28,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairfield, CA | Sterling, VA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah | Deloitte |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Retail |
There are a few differences between an automotive repair technician and an auto technician in terms of educational background:
| Automotive Repair Technician | Auto Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between automotive repair technicians' and auto technicians' demographics:
| Automotive Repair Technician | Auto Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8% | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% |
| 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, 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% |