Lead Mechanic Overview
Working as a Lead Mechanic
Lead mechanics are in charge of overseeing the work of a team of mechanics. Their job entails many of the duties a mechanic is expected to carry out, while additionally making sure their subordinates' work meets quality standards and all tasks are completed on time.
Ordering material for repairs, diagnosing mechanical problems using appropriate equipment, resolving issues, and giving professional advice to the mechanics on the team is also the responsibility of lead mechanics. They test repaired machines on the road and see to it that all working equipment is well maintained and safe to use.
Although ample experience as a mechanic is a must for this position, lead mechanics need to know more than their way around an engine. The mechanic team will look to them in case any problem arises, so they have to have leadership skills, an aptitude toward resolving issues, and a vein for customer service.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a lead mechanic. For example, did you know that they make an average of $29.47 an hour? That's $61,292 a year!
What Does a Lead Mechanic Do
There are certain skills that many lead mechanics have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed dexterity, mechanical skills and physical strength.
When it comes to the most important skills required to be a lead mechanic, we found that a lot of resumes listed 15.9% of lead mechanics included preventative maintenance, while 9.7% of resumes included electrical systems, and 7.0% of resumes included company vehicle. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.
When it comes to searching for a job, many search for a key term or phrase. Instead, it might be more helpful to search by industry, as you might be missing jobs that you never thought about in industries that you didn't even think offered positions related to the lead mechanic job title. But what industry to start with? Most lead mechanics actually find jobs in the transportation and manufacturing industries.
How To Become a Lead Mechanic
If you're interested in becoming a lead mechanic, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 13.3% of lead mechanics have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 2.0% of lead mechanics have master's degrees. Even though some lead mechanics have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a lead mechanic. When we researched the most common majors for a lead mechanic, we found that they most commonly earn high school diploma degrees or associate degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on lead mechanic resumes include bachelor's degree degrees or diploma degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a lead mechanic. In fact, many lead mechanic jobs require experience in a role such as mechanic. Meanwhile, many lead mechanics also have previous career experience in roles such as maintenance technician or diesel mechanic.
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Lead Mechanic Jobs
Lead Mechanic Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of maintenance supervisor you might progress to a role such as supervisor eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title project superintendent.
What is the right job for my career path?
Tell us your goals and we'll match you with the rights job to get there.
Average Salary for a Lead Mechanic
Best Paying Cities
Recently Added Salaries
Job TitleCompany  | Company | Start Date | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
First Student Lead Mechanic Lead Mechanic | First Student First Student | 10/31/2020 10/31/2020 | $56,34910/31/2020 $56,349 |
Eden Prairie Schools Lead Mechanic Lead Mechanic | Eden Prairie Schools Eden Prairie Schools | 10/31/2020 10/31/2020 | $63,50210/31/2020 $63,502 |
Firstgroup Plc Jefferson-Lead Mechanic Jefferson-Lead Mechanic | Firstgroup Plc Firstgroup Plc | 10/28/2020 10/28/2020 | $56,34910/28/2020 $56,349 |
Melaleuca TN-Lead Mechanic-Day Shift-Blow Mold TN-Lead Mechanic-Day Shift-Blow Mold | Melaleuca Melaleuca | 10/17/2020 10/17/2020 | $42,19910/17/2020 $42,199 |
Melaleuca TN-Lead Mechanic-Day Shift-Blow Mold TN-Lead Mechanic-Day Shift-Blow Mold | Melaleuca Melaleuca | 09/27/2020 09/27/2020 | $42,19909/27/2020 $42,199 |
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Lead Mechanic Resumes
Designing and figuring out what to include on your resume can be tough, not to mention time-consuming. That's why we put together a guide that is designed to help you craft the perfect resume for becoming a Lead Mechanic. If you're needing extra inspiration, take a look through our selection of templates that are specific to your job.
Learn How To Write a Lead Mechanic Resume
At Zippia, we went through countless Lead Mechanic resumes and compiled some information about how best to optimize them. Here are some suggestions based on what we found, divided by the individual sections of the resume itself.
View Detailed InformationTop Colleges for Lead Mechanics
1. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred
Alfred, NY
2. Dunwoody College of Technology
Minneapolis, MN
3. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, NY
4. Northern Michigan University
Marquette, MI
5. New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA
7. University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY
9. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Entry Level Jobs For Becoming A Lead Mechanic
Top Skills For a Lead Mechanic
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 15.9% of lead mechanics listed preventative maintenance on their resume, but soft skills such as dexterity and mechanical skills are important as well.
- Maintenance Department, 9.3%
- Electrical Systems, 9.0%
- Company Vehicle, 7.8%
- Hand Tools, 6.7%
- Preventive Maintenance, 6.1%
- Other Skills, 61.1% See All Lead Mechanic Skills
Best States For a Lead Mechanic
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a lead mechanic. The best states for people in this position are California, Nevada, Colorado, and New Jersey. Lead mechanics make the most in California with an average salary of $70,904. Whereas in Nevada and Colorado, they would average $68,753 and $67,102, respectively. While lead mechanics would only make an average of $66,963 in New Jersey, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Nevada
$68,753
Avg. Salary
2. Iowa
$60,955
Avg. Salary
3. Louisiana
$63,076
Avg. Salary
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Top Lead Mechanic Employers
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