Heavy vehicle technician vs heavy equipment mechanic

The differences between heavy vehicle technicians and heavy equipment mechanics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a heavy vehicle technician, becoming a heavy equipment mechanic takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a heavy equipment mechanic has an average salary of $49,018, 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 a heavy equipment mechanic are CDL, hand tools, and loaders.

Heavy vehicle technician vs heavy equipment mechanic overview

	Heavy Vehicle Technician	Heavy Equipment Mechanic
Yearly salary	$38,006	$49,018
Hourly rate	$18.27	$23.57
Growth rate	1%	8%
Number of jobs	108,284	98,464
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	High School Diploma, 39%
Average age	40	44
Years of experience	2	4

Heavy vehicle technician vs heavy equipment mechanic salary

Heavy vehicle technicians and heavy equipment mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Heavy Vehicle Technician	Heavy Equipment Mechanic
Average salary	$38,006	$49,018
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $51,000	Between $36,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	Foster City, CA	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	California	Vermont
Best paying company	Bruce Transportation Group	BNSF Railway
Best paying industry	Professional	Transportation

Differences between heavy vehicle technician and heavy equipment mechanic education

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

	Heavy Vehicle Technician	Heavy Equipment Mechanic
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	High School Diploma, 39%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Heavy vehicle technician vs heavy equipment mechanic demographics

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

	Heavy Vehicle Technician	Heavy Equipment Mechanic
Average age	40	44
Gender ratio	Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6%	Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4%
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, 5.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 1.7% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	2%	1%

Differences between heavy vehicle technician and heavy equipment mechanic 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

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.

Heavy vehicle technician vs heavy equipment mechanic skills

Common heavy vehicle technician skills

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

Common heavy equipment mechanic skills

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

Heavy Vehicle Technician vs. similar jobs

Heavy Vehicle Technician related careers

Heavy Vehicle Technician related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Installation, Maintenance and Repair Industry
Heavy Vehicle Technician
Heavy Vehicle Technician vs Heavy Equipment Mechanic

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse installation, maintenance and repair jobs