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The differences between forklift technicians and light wheel 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 light wheel mechanic takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a forklift technician has an average salary of $43,589, which is higher than the $41,948 average annual salary of a light wheel mechanic.
The top three skills for a forklift technician include troubleshoot, preventative maintenance and safety procedures. The most important skills for a light wheel mechanic are mechanical problems, electrical systems, and equipment systems.
| Forklift Technician | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $43,589 | $41,948 |
| Hourly rate | $20.96 | $20.17 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 179,388 | 90,297 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| 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 light wheel mechanic is responsible for maintaining the optimal performance and efficiency of light-wheeled vehicles used for industrial operations, especially in a military setting. Light wheel mechanics inspect the condition of the vehicle's engine, perform preventive maintenance, replace defective components, assemble upgrade systems based on schematics and blueprints, and create resolution reports for reference. They must have excellent knowledge of the auto-mechanic industry to determine faults and identify repairs, avoiding delays, complications, and hazards during operations.
Forklift technicians and light wheel mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forklift Technician | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $43,589 | $41,948 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $60,000 | Between $25,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a forklift technician and a light wheel mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Forklift Technician | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between forklift technicians' and light wheel mechanics' demographics:
| Forklift Technician | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% |
| 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, 9.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 2.5% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 1% | 2% |