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The differences between heavy duty mechanics and light wheel mechanics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a heavy duty mechanic and a light wheel mechanic. Additionally, a heavy duty mechanic has an average salary of $49,563, which is higher than the $41,948 average annual salary of a light wheel mechanic.
The top three skills for a heavy duty mechanic include CDL, hand tools and preventive maintenance. The most important skills for a light wheel mechanic are mechanical problems, electrical systems, and equipment systems.
| Heavy Duty Mechanic | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $49,563 | $41,948 |
| Hourly rate | $23.83 | $20.17 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 51,609 | 90,297 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 39% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Heavy-duty mechanics are skilled employees who are responsible for providing repairs and maintenance of mobile heavy-duty construction equipment. These mechanics must perform inspections on equipment such as bulldozers, cranes, and other heavy construction equipment to detect faults and malfunctions to ensure proper performance. They must test the repaired equipment to ensure that the repair works meet the specifications of the manufacturers. Heavy-duty mechanics must also provide a safe working environment and take special precautions to protect themselves against work-related injuries.
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.
Heavy duty mechanics and light wheel mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Heavy Duty Mechanic | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $49,563 | $41,948 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $66,000 | Between $25,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | - |
| Best paying company | Granite Construction | - |
| Best paying industry | Construction | - |
There are a few differences between a heavy duty mechanic and a light wheel mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Heavy Duty Mechanic | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 39% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between heavy duty mechanics' and light wheel mechanics' demographics:
| Heavy Duty Mechanic | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2% | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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 | 2% | 2% |