Heavy vehicle technician vs automobile technician

The differences between heavy vehicle technicians and automobile 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 vehicle technician and an automobile technician. Additionally, an automobile technician has an average salary of $39,815, which is higher than the $38,006 average annual salary of a heavy vehicle technician.

The top three skills for a heavy vehicle technician include DOT, hand tools and CDL. The most important skills for an automobile technician are oil changes, preventive maintenance, and engine tune-ups.

Heavy vehicle technician vs automobile technician overview

	Heavy Vehicle Technician	Automobile Technician
Yearly salary	$38,006	$39,815
Hourly rate	$18.27	$19.14
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	108,284	75,140
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Associate Degree, 33%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Heavy vehicle technician vs automobile technician salary

Heavy vehicle technicians and automobile technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Heavy Vehicle Technician	Automobile Technician
Average salary	$38,006	$39,815
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $51,000	Between $26,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	Foster City, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Bruce Transportation Group	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between heavy vehicle technician and automobile technician education

There are a few differences between a heavy vehicle technician and an automobile technician in terms of educational background:

	Heavy Vehicle Technician	Automobile Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Associate Degree, 33%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Heavy vehicle technician vs automobile technician demographics

Here are the differences between heavy vehicle technicians' and automobile technicians' demographics:

	Heavy Vehicle Technician	Automobile Technician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6%	Male, 97.8% Female, 2.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between heavy vehicle technician and automobile technician duties and responsibilities

Heavy vehicle technician example responsibilities.

Hire specifically to test and troubleshoot main components and sub assemblies.
Work though rotation of all branches of auto troubleshooting, diagnosis, and repair.
Assign with diagnosis and repair of chassis, electrical, hydraulic and water pump systems.
Inspect, test, troubleshoot, repair and adjust electrical, hydraulic, fire control, mechanical and firing systems.
Demonstrate dependability and reliability by being punctual, working assign shifts, and completing responsibilities in a timely manner.
repair vehicles for a/c brakes, hybrid vehicles, transmissions, electronic and computer diag

Automobile technician example responsibilities.

Inspect cars, service and repairs specializing in BMW repairs, manage shop, price and order parts, customer service
Position: ASE certify automobile technician.
Service Toyota, domestic imports to rental trucks, preventative maintenance
Earn certifications through manufacturer and ASE classes/testing.
Perform extensive diagnosis and repair of automotive electrical systems.
Specialize in electronic and mechanical fuel injection systems and automatic transmission diagnosis and repair (foreign and domestic).

Heavy vehicle technician vs automobile technician skills

Common heavy vehicle technician skills

DOT, 12%
Hand Tools, 11%
CDL, 10%
Diagnosis, 5%
Electrical Troubleshooting, 4%
Preventive Maintenance, 4%

Common automobile technician skills

Oil Changes, 15%
Preventive Maintenance, 9%
Engine Tune-Ups, 8%
Diagnosis, 6%
Shop Equipment, 5%
Automotive Repair, 5%

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Heavy Vehicle Technician
Heavy Vehicle Technician vs Automobile Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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