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The differences between automotive service technicians and diesel 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 service technician and a diesel mechanic. Additionally, a diesel mechanic has an average salary of $49,842, which is higher than the $43,077 average annual salary of an automotive service technician.
The top three skills for an automotive service technician include customer service, hand tools and dexterity. The most important skills for a diesel mechanic are CDL, preventative maintenance, and DOT.
| Automotive Service Technician | Diesel Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $43,077 | $49,842 |
| Hourly rate | $20.71 | $23.96 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 177,784 | 85,684 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Automotive service technicians, often called service technicians, have a duty to inspect, maintain, and repair cars and even light trucks. It is their job as automotive service technicians to find problems, often by computerized diagnostic equipment. They do test parts and systems to guarantee that they work properly and follow checklists to ensure that every critical part is examined. Performing basic care and maintenance is also part of their main tasks, including changing oil, rotating tires, and checking fluid levels.
A diesel mechanic is a skilled technician responsible for the checking, maintenance, and repair of diesel engines. Diesel mechanics duties also include regular inspections of vehicles upon customer's request to ensure the smooth performance of the machine, communicate on any system issue that might cause malfunctions, and provide any replacement to renovate a damaged part of the engine. A diesel mechanic must be highly-knowledgeable on everything related to diesel engines to provide the best, long-term solutions for the customers.
Automotive service technicians and diesel mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automotive Service Technician | Diesel Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $43,077 | $49,842 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $74,000 | Between $37,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Alexandria, VA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Cypress | Hensel Phelps |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Energy |
There are a few differences between an automotive service technician and a diesel mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Automotive Service Technician | Diesel Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between automotive service technicians' and diesel mechanics' demographics:
| Automotive Service Technician | Diesel Mechanic | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% | Male, 96.3% Female, 3.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 5.0% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |