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Car inspector vs rail technician

The differences between car inspectors and rail 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 inspector and a rail technician. Additionally, a rail technician has an average salary of $45,620, which is higher than the $39,325 average annual salary of a car inspector.

The top three skills for a car inspector include safety equipment, rail cars and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a rail technician are rail cars, HVAC, and test equipment.

Car inspector vs rail technician overview

Car InspectorRail Technician
Yearly salary$39,325$45,620
Hourly rate$18.91$21.93
Growth rate-3%1%
Number of jobs22,55527,605
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 42%High School Diploma, 30%
Average age4949
Years of experience22

Car inspector vs rail technician salary

Car inspectors and rail technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Car InspectorRail Technician
Average salary$39,325$45,620
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $66,000Between $27,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between car inspector and rail technician education

There are a few differences between a car inspector and a rail technician in terms of educational background:

Car InspectorRail Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 42%High School Diploma, 30%
Most common majorAutomotive TechnologyAutomotive Technology
Most common college--

Car inspector vs rail technician demographics

Here are the differences between car inspectors' and rail technicians' demographics:

Car InspectorRail Technician
Average age4949
Gender ratioMale, 82.5% Female, 17.5%Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.6% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 7.0% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 14.6% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 6.1% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between car inspector and rail technician duties and responsibilities

Car inspector example responsibilities.

  • Operate specialize off-highway motor vehicles including forklifts and ATV's.
  • Inspect new Chrysler vehicles, look for damage move them from one spot to another, log in damages and shipping ..
  • Conduct dimensional and visual inspections procedures on CMM machines to ensure geometrical characteristics of the product are in specification.
  • Inspect certify pre own eligibility vehicles at Toyota and Lexus automotive dealers.

Rail technician example responsibilities.

  • Maintain up to 100 cars and locomotives.
  • Perform functional test such as break system and HVAC analysis.
  • Cut materials to specify sizes for installation using power saws, and torches.
  • Compose written reports of data collect from patient evaluation and present to department chief for thorough analysis of patient diagnosis.
  • Perform inspection of ventilation systems for functionality and preventive maintenance.

Car inspector vs rail technician skills

Common car inspector skills
  • Safety Equipment, 23%
  • Rail Cars, 11%
  • Troubleshoot, 9%
  • Oil Changes, 5%
  • Torches, 4%
  • MTA, 4%
Common rail technician skills
  • Rail Cars, 32%
  • HVAC, 12%
  • Test Equipment, 11%
  • Safety Regulations, 10%
  • FRA, 9%
  • Electrical Systems, 5%

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