Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between heavy duty mechanics and 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 heavy duty mechanic and a technician. Additionally, a heavy duty mechanic has an average salary of $49,563, which is higher than the $38,045 average annual salary of a technician.
The top three skills for a heavy duty mechanic include CDL, hand tools and preventive maintenance. The most important skills for a technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Heavy Duty Mechanic | Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $49,563 | $38,045 |
| Hourly rate | $23.83 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 51,609 | 596,842 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| 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.
Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.
Heavy duty mechanics and technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Heavy Duty Mechanic | Technician | |
| Average salary | $49,563 | $38,045 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $66,000 | Between $24,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Granite Construction | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a heavy duty mechanic and a technician in terms of educational background:
| Heavy Duty Mechanic | Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between heavy duty mechanics' and technicians' demographics:
| Heavy Duty Mechanic | Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2% | Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |