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The differences between diesel mechanics 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 diesel mechanic and an auto technician. Additionally, a diesel mechanic has an average salary of $49,842, which is higher than the $41,435 average annual salary of an auto technician.
The top three skills for a diesel mechanic include CDL, preventative maintenance and DOT. The most important skills for an auto technician are taking care, preventive maintenance, and customer vehicles.
| Diesel Mechanic | Auto Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $49,842 | $41,435 |
| Hourly rate | $23.96 | $19.92 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 85,684 | 131,515 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 2 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A diesel mechanic is a skilled technician responsible for the checking, maintenance, and repair of diesel engines. Diesel mechanics duties also include regular inspections of vehicles upon customer's request to ensure the smooth performance of the machine, communicate on any system issue that might cause malfunctions, and provide any replacement to renovate a damaged part of the engine. A diesel mechanic must be highly-knowledgeable on everything related to diesel engines to provide the best, long-term solutions for the customers.
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.
Diesel mechanics and auto technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Diesel Mechanic | Auto Technician | |
| Average salary | $49,842 | $41,435 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $67,000 | Between $28,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | Sterling, VA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | Hensel Phelps | Deloitte |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Retail |
There are a few differences between a diesel mechanic and an auto technician in terms of educational background:
| Diesel Mechanic | Auto Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between diesel mechanics' and auto technicians' demographics:
| Diesel Mechanic | Auto Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.3% Female, 3.7% | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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% |