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The differences between forklift technicians and diesel mechanics 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 a diesel mechanic takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a diesel mechanic has an average salary of $49,842, which is higher than the $43,589 average annual salary of a forklift technician.
The top three skills for a forklift technician include troubleshoot, preventative maintenance and safety procedures. The most important skills for a diesel mechanic are CDL, preventative maintenance, and DOT.
| Forklift Technician | Diesel Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $43,589 | $49,842 |
| Hourly rate | $20.96 | $23.96 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 179,388 | 85,684 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| 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.
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.
Forklift technicians and diesel mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forklift Technician | Diesel Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $43,589 | $49,842 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $60,000 | Between $37,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Hensel Phelps |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a forklift technician and a diesel mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Forklift Technician | Diesel Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between forklift technicians' and diesel mechanics' demographics:
| Forklift Technician | Diesel Mechanic | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% | Male, 96.3% Female, 3.7% |
| 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, 8.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 1% | 2% |