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The differences between automotive technicians and lube 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 technician and a lube technician. Additionally, an automotive technician has an average salary of $40,910, which is higher than the $29,959 average annual salary of a lube technician.
The top three skills for an automotive technician include work ethic, computer system and customer service. The most important skills for a lube technician are work ethic, customer service, and hand tools.
| Automotive Technician | Lube Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $40,910 | $29,959 |
| Hourly rate | $19.67 | $14.40 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 142,840 | 131,008 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | High School Diploma, 53% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An automotive technician is responsible for maintaining the condition of automotive equipment. The duties of an automotive technician include repairing defective automotive components and inspecting and ensuring the auto's performance, stability, and safety. A tech is also responsible for upgrading the electrical systems to boost efficiency, conducting oil changes and tire checks, and installing batteries. An automotive technician also runs quality checks and improves system designs based on clients' specifications. An automotive technician must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry and automotive systems to assist clients with their inquiries and concerns.
A Lube Technician specializes in automotive repairs and maintenance, focusing on lubricating particular engine parts. However, Lube Technicians can also conduct necessary inspection and maintenance of vehicles, change oil or filter, replace parts such as engines and batteries, and perform tire changes or inflation. A Lube Technician usually works as a member of a team or company, so it is essential to have efficient communication, coordination, attention to detail, and build rapport with clients to establish a client-base.
Automotive technicians and lube technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automotive Technician | Lube Technician | |
| Average salary | $40,910 | $29,959 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $57,000 | Between $23,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Denver, CO |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Orange County Sheriff's Office | Martin Marietta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Retail |
There are a few differences between an automotive technician and a lube technician in terms of educational background:
| Automotive Technician | Lube Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | High School Diploma, 53% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between automotive technicians' and lube technicians' demographics:
| Automotive Technician | Lube Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2% | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 5.0% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |