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Car washer vs detail technician

The differences between car washers and detail technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a car washer has an average salary of $28,701, which is higher than the $28,201 average annual salary of a detail technician.

The top three skills for a car washer include clean vehicle, customer satisfaction and cleanliness. The most important skills for a detail technician are customer vehicles, customer service, and dexterity.

Car washer vs detail technician overview

Car WasherDetail Technician
Yearly salary$28,701$28,201
Hourly rate$13.80$13.56
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs41,70210,951
Job satisfaction3-
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 64%High School Diploma, 50%
Average age3838
Years of experience--

Car washer vs detail technician salary

Car washers and detail technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Car WasherDetail Technician
Average salary$28,701$28,201
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $35,000Between $22,000 And $35,000
Highest paying CitySan Jose, CABellevue, WA
Highest paying stateWashingtonWashington
Best paying companyWestsideRyder System
Best paying industryTransportationManufacturing

Differences between car washer and detail technician education

There are a few differences between a car washer and a detail technician in terms of educational background:

Car WasherDetail Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 64%High School Diploma, 50%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Car washer vs detail technician demographics

Here are the differences between car washers' and detail technicians' demographics:

Car WasherDetail Technician
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 86.5% Female, 13.5%Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.8% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 4.4% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 4.0% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between car washer and detail technician duties and responsibilities

Car washer example responsibilities.

  • Manage to sweep and mop floor; clean bathroom and empty trash and dryer lint traps.
  • Change car oil and filters, wash and take care of the overall cleanliness of the client's cars.
  • Maintain the cleanliness of the showroom floor, windows, offices, bathrooms, and other parts of the facilities.
  • Operate POS register, perform opening/closing operations
  • Clean and pre-soak machines before use.

Detail technician example responsibilities.

  • Detail interior and exterior of travel trailers and RV's.
  • Dust cleaned wash waxed vacuum shampoo entire campers RV units.
  • Provide professional automobile detailing services with a variety of cleaning techniques and products to ensure the desired level of superior cleanliness.
  • Serve as liaison between DriveTime and external repair and supply vendors.
  • Investigate transmission errors for DriveTime lot vehicles.

Car washer vs detail technician skills

Common car washer skills
  • Clean Vehicle, 36%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 14%
  • Cleanliness, 13%
  • Vehicle Exterior, 6%
  • Customer Vehicles, 5%
  • Rental Cars, 4%
Common detail technician skills
  • Customer Vehicles, 40%
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Dexterity, 8%
  • Exterior Surfaces, 7%
  • Engine Compartment, 5%
  • Rinse, 5%

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