Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between automotive technicians and master 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 master technician. Additionally, a master technician has an average salary of $97,027, which is higher than the $40,910 average annual salary of an automotive technician.
The top three skills for an automotive technician include work ethic, computer system and customer service. The most important skills for a master technician are strong customer service, customer vehicles, and engine performance.
| Automotive Technician | Master Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $40,910 | $97,027 |
| Hourly rate | $19.67 | $46.65 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 142,840 | 137,644 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 33% |
| 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 Master Technician diagnoses and repairs vehicles accurately within a reasonable time frame and quality. Their primary duties include the maintenance of vehicles to ensure proper performance, repairing of individual parts, and replacement of entire systems.
Automotive technicians and master technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automotive Technician | Master Technician | |
| Average salary | $40,910 | $97,027 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $57,000 | Between $62,000 And $150,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Orange County Sheriff's Office | Teradata |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | - |
There are a few differences between an automotive technician and a master technician in terms of educational background:
| Automotive Technician | Master Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between automotive technicians' and master technicians' demographics:
| Automotive Technician | Master Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2% | Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3% |
| 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, 9.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |