Heavy equipment mechanic vs senior mechanic

The differences between heavy equipment mechanics and senior mechanics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a heavy equipment mechanic and a senior mechanic. Additionally, a senior mechanic has an average salary of $51,569, which is higher than the $49,018 average annual salary of a heavy equipment mechanic.

The top three skills for a heavy equipment mechanic include CDL, hand tools and loaders. The most important skills for a senior mechanic are hand tools, preventive maintenance, and HVAC.

Heavy equipment mechanic vs senior mechanic overview

	Heavy Equipment Mechanic	Senior Mechanic
Yearly salary	$49,018	$51,569
Hourly rate	$23.57	$24.79
Growth rate	8%	5%
Number of jobs	98,464	85,706
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	Associate Degree, 31%
Average age	44	49
Years of experience	4	4

What does a heavy equipment mechanic do?

A heavy equipment mechanic is responsible for operating the heavy machinery used in the production of various industries, inspecting inconsistencies, running diagnostic tests, and replacing defective components to ensure its operational safety and efficiency. Heavy equipment mechanics also upgrade engine systems to boost optimal performance, analyze damage costs, and repair equipment parts with the assistance of other mechanical staff. They work closely with the management, create maintenance reports, and suggesting resolutions to avoid delays in production and customer service.

What does a senior mechanic do?

A senior mechanic builds machines or mechanical components based on client specifications and requirements. As a senior mechanic, you will perform a variety of duties that include performing technical inspections on corrective maintenance, vehicle armor and services, monitoring and supporting day-to-day facility and production operations, and troubleshooting problems. Additionally, you will perform preventative maintenance on equipment, generators, and vehicles, and conducting research on parts repair. You will also perform various custodial and maintenance duties as requested.

Heavy equipment mechanic vs senior mechanic salary

Heavy equipment mechanics and senior mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Heavy Equipment Mechanic	Senior Mechanic
Average salary	$49,018	$51,569
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $65,000	Between $37,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	Oakland, CA	Roseville, CA
Highest paying state	Vermont	Alaska
Best paying company	BNSF Railway	Orange County Sanitation District
Best paying industry	Transportation	Energy

Differences between heavy equipment mechanic and senior mechanic education

There are a few differences between a heavy equipment mechanic and a senior mechanic in terms of educational background:

	Heavy Equipment Mechanic	Senior Mechanic
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	Associate Degree, 31%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Heavy equipment mechanic vs senior mechanic demographics

Here are the differences between heavy equipment mechanics' and senior mechanics' demographics:

	Heavy Equipment Mechanic	Senior Mechanic
Average age	44	49
Gender ratio	Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4%	Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 1.7% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 2.1% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	1%	4%

Differences between heavy equipment mechanic and senior mechanic duties and responsibilities

Heavy equipment mechanic example responsibilities.

Maintain and manage shop for parts, supplies and priority in jobs and cleanliness.
Operate grinders, vises, jacks, cranes, drill presses, pallet lifts, wheel lifts, and solvent tank.
Perform corrosion control and painting procedures on equipment using grinders, sanders, respirators and paint guns.
Fix and maintain all types of heavy equipment such as backhoe, excavator, bull dozer and grader.
Analyze and diagnose problems, troubleshoot electrical systems and their mechanical components.
Perform queries into competitor technology to maintain ability to perform accurate diagnosis on equipment not produce by caterpillar.

Senior mechanic example responsibilities.

Create and manage preventive and predictive routes using Maximo CMMS database.
Perform technical inspections on vehicle armor, corrective maintenance, and services (PMCS )
Test coolant conditions, inspects wires and repair if damage, replace wire harness, troubleshoot faulty electrical components.
Support GMP manufacturing and team with QA.
Replace electrical switches, lights and outlets.
Use table top grinders and tools for assembly.

Heavy equipment mechanic vs senior mechanic skills

Common heavy equipment mechanic skills

CDL, 8%
Hand Tools, 7%
Loaders, 6%
Cranes, 6%
Electrical Systems, 4%
End Loaders, 4%

Common senior mechanic skills

Hand Tools, 10%
Preventive Maintenance, 7%
HVAC, 6%
Plumbing, 5%
Diesel Engines, 5%
Shop Safety, 4%

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Heavy Equipment Mechanic vs Senior Mechanic

Updated January 8, 2025

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