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The differences between car audio installers 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 a car audio installer and an auto technician. Additionally, an auto technician has an average salary of $41,435, which is higher than the $35,392 average annual salary of a car audio installer.
The top three skills for a car audio installer include GPS, security systems and customer service. The most important skills for an auto technician are taking care, preventive maintenance, and customer vehicles.
| Car Audio Installer | Auto Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,392 | $41,435 |
| Hourly rate | $17.02 | $19.92 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 26,094 | 131,515 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 45% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A car audio installer specializes in installing audio and speaker systems in different vehicles. They communicate directly with clients to identify their needs and preferences, assisting them by answering inquiries, providing them with cost estimates, giving them instructions, and offering other products and services when necessary. Besides installing, they may also perform maintenance checks, diagnose or troubleshoot issues, and repair or fix components. Moreover, as a car audio installer, it is essential to maintain records of all transactions and monitor the inventory of supplies.
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.
Car audio installers and auto technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Car Audio Installer | Auto Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,392 | $41,435 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $52,000 | Between $28,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Sterling, VA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Wireless Advocates | Deloitte |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a car audio installer and an auto technician in terms of educational background:
| Car Audio Installer | Auto Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 45% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between car audio installers' and auto technicians' demographics:
| Car Audio Installer | Auto Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.4% Female, 4.6% | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.0% Asian, 4.9% White, 59.0% 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% |