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Body shop technician vs paint prepper

The differences between body shop technicians and paint preppers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a body shop technician has an average salary of $42,116, which is higher than the $41,414 average annual salary of a paint prepper.

The top three skills for a body shop technician include body shop, OSHA and refinish. The most important skills for a paint prepper are body shop, hand tools, and windows.

Body shop technician vs paint prepper overview

Body Shop TechnicianPaint Prepper
Yearly salary$42,116$41,414
Hourly rate$20.25$19.91
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs40,1075,118
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 47%High School Diploma, 50%
Average age4444
Years of experience--

Body shop technician vs paint prepper salary

Body shop technicians and paint preppers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Body Shop TechnicianPaint Prepper
Average salary$42,116$41,414
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $66,000Between $29,000 And $58,000
Highest paying CityMiddletown, CT-
Highest paying stateMaine-
Best paying companyDATTCO-
Best paying industryAutomotive-

Differences between body shop technician and paint prepper education

There are a few differences between a body shop technician and a paint prepper in terms of educational background:

Body Shop TechnicianPaint Prepper
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 47%High School Diploma, 50%
Most common majorAutomotive TechnologyAutomotive Technology
Most common college--

Body shop technician vs paint prepper demographics

Here are the differences between body shop technicians' and paint preppers' demographics:

Body Shop TechnicianPaint Prepper
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 94.5% Female, 5.5%Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% Asian, 2.0% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between body shop technician and paint prepper duties and responsibilities

Body shop technician example responsibilities.

  • Perform panel repairs all around with the use of bondo and glaze.
  • Have worked with everything from bondo and paint prep all the way to welding support pieces together.
  • Maintain a safe, clean work area and follow all establish safety guidelines, ensuring conformance with OSHA.
  • Complete prep and refinish to factory or customer specifications.
  • Enter invoices electronically using CCC one and store invoices inside their specific file.

Paint prepper example responsibilities.

  • Paint primer, undercoats, top layer and clear coats as needed.
  • Operate compress air equipment and gun to apply prime and final coats of paint.
  • Wait for the primer surface to dry then proceed to sand and wash the vehicle.
  • Spray different finishes inside and out, this include primer, flat, eggshell, semi-gloss, high-gloss, lacquer and stain
  • Perform minor bumper repair jobs using bondo and hardener
  • Install, repair and fabricate fiberglass components within specifications dictate by military contracts.
  • Show more

Body shop technician vs paint prepper skills

Common body shop technician skills
  • Body Shop, 24%
  • OSHA, 11%
  • Refinish, 10%
  • Hand Tools, 10%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Repair Orders, 6%
Common paint prepper skills
  • Body Shop, 20%
  • Hand Tools, 20%
  • Windows, 12%
  • Coats, 12%
  • Painting Process, 8%
  • Mixers, 3%

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