Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between forklift technicians and automotive technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a forklift technician, becoming an automotive technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a forklift technician has an average salary of $43,589, which is higher than the $40,910 average annual salary of an automotive technician.
The top three skills for a forklift technician include troubleshoot, preventative maintenance and safety procedures. The most important skills for an automotive technician are work ethic, computer system, and customer service.
| Forklift Technician | Automotive Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $43,589 | $40,910 |
| Hourly rate | $20.96 | $19.67 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 179,388 | 142,840 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Primarily, a forklift technician services and monitors forklifts and any other heavy industrial vehicles. Forklift technicians maintain tools, communicate with the salespeople, handle inventory, and utilize computer-based diagnostics on any equipment. Typically, they work in repair shops doing repair and troubleshooting tasks. They repair, rewire, and troubleshoot the electrical, electronic, and mechanical problems of vehicles. Among their other duties and responsibilities are shop analysis, equipment modification, diagnostics, electronic system troubleshooting.
An automotive technician is responsible for maintaining the condition of automotive equipment. The duties of an automotive technician include repairing defective automotive components and inspecting and ensuring the auto's performance, stability, and safety. A tech is also responsible for upgrading the electrical systems to boost efficiency, conducting oil changes and tire checks, and installing batteries. An automotive technician also runs quality checks and improves system designs based on clients' specifications. An automotive technician must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry and automotive systems to assist clients with their inquiries and concerns.
Forklift technicians and automotive technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forklift Technician | Automotive Technician | |
| Average salary | $43,589 | $40,910 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $60,000 | Between $29,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Orange County Sheriff's Office |
| Best paying industry | - | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a forklift technician and an automotive technician in terms of educational background:
| Forklift Technician | Automotive Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between forklift technicians' and automotive technicians' demographics:
| Forklift Technician | Automotive Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% | Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 1.7% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 5.0% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 1% | 2% |