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The differences between diesel mechanics and electricians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a diesel mechanic, becoming an electrician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a diesel mechanic has an average salary of $49,842, which is higher than the $48,850 average annual salary of an electrician.
The top three skills for a diesel mechanic include CDL, preventative maintenance and DOT. The most important skills for an electrician are hand tools, electrical equipment, and run conduit.
| Diesel Mechanic | Electrician | |
| Yearly salary | $49,842 | $48,850 |
| Hourly rate | $23.96 | $23.49 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 85,684 | 17,245 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 3.86 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
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 electrician is a skilled tradesman in charge of wirings and systems which provide electric power to a facility. They are trained to design, install, maintain, and troubleshoot electrical wiring systems. There are four basic types of an electrician - residential wiremen, inside wiremen, telecommunications electrician, and outside linemen. Some work on a standard 40-hour week shift while others are on-call duty. In some cases, traveling is also a vital key to their role where they would work for a few days before moving to another location.
Diesel mechanics and electricians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Diesel Mechanic | Electrician | |
| Average salary | $49,842 | $48,850 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $67,000 | Between $32,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Hensel Phelps | PBF Energy |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a diesel mechanic and an electrician in terms of educational background:
| Diesel Mechanic | Electrician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between diesel mechanics' and electricians' demographics:
| Diesel Mechanic | Electrician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.3% Female, 3.7% | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% |
| 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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 2.2% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 3% |