Drivability technician vs alignment technician

The differences between drivability technicians and alignment 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 drivability technician and an alignment technician. Additionally, a drivability technician has an average salary of $40,732, which is higher than the $38,020 average annual salary of an alignment technician.

The top three skills for a drivability technician include drivability, HVAC and electrical problems. The most important skills for an alignment technician are customer service, hand tools, and power steering.

Drivability technician vs alignment technician overview

	Drivability Technician	Alignment Technician
Yearly salary	$40,732	$38,020
Hourly rate	$19.58	$18.28
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	62,361	143,585
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Drivability technician vs alignment technician salary

Drivability technicians and alignment technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Drivability Technician	Alignment Technician
Average salary	$40,732	$38,020
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $60,000	Between $25,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between drivability technician and alignment technician education

There are a few differences between a drivability technician and an alignment technician in terms of educational background:

	Drivability Technician	Alignment Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Drivability technician vs alignment technician demographics

Here are the differences between drivability technicians' and alignment technicians' demographics:

	Drivability Technician	Alignment Technician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 98.6% Female, 1.4%	Male, 95.9% Female, 4.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.9% Asian, 4.7% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 5.8% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between drivability technician and alignment technician duties and responsibilities

Drivability technician example responsibilities.

Manage customer accounts from initial diagnosis and estimate to final invoicing.
Diagnose and repair HVAC systems on all types of vehicles.
Lead drivability tech, diagnose and repair medium and light duty trucks.
Trace electrical circuits for anti-lock brake systems, engines, HVAC and transmission controls.
Implement PLC programming and troubleshooting procedures while also initiating and executing process improvements and conducting parts research when necessary.
Provide customers with oil changes, tire repairs/changing battery replacement/bulb replacement.

Alignment technician example responsibilities.

Repair wheels using grinders, sanders and paint equipment.
Straighten bend or damage alloy wheels.
Assist with MIG welding and exhaust work.
Perform all general lube and oil filter changes.
Used a grinder and DA sanders to remove damage from rims.
Clean and resize bearing fillet and dust guard seat using various grinders.

Drivability technician vs alignment technician skills

Common drivability technician skills

Drivability, 48%
HVAC, 19%
Electrical Problems, 18%
Oil Changes, 16%

Common alignment technician skills

Customer Service, 39%
Hand Tools, 34%
Power Steering, 10%
Customer Vehicles, 6%
Customer Satisfaction, 4%
Diagnosis, 1%

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Drivability Technician vs Alignment Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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