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The differences between locomotive mechanics and mechanic's assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a locomotive mechanic and a mechanic's assistant. Additionally, a locomotive mechanic has an average salary of $41,991, which is higher than the $41,533 average annual salary of a mechanic's assistant.
The top three skills for a locomotive mechanic include locomotives, hand tools and FRA. The most important skills for a mechanic's assistant are preventative maintenance, hand tools, and OSHA.
| Locomotive Mechanic | Mechanic's Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $41,991 | $41,533 |
| Hourly rate | $20.19 | $19.97 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 34,178 | 40,249 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 33% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Locomotive mechanics and mechanic's assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Locomotive Mechanic | Mechanic's Assistant | |
| Average salary | $41,991 | $41,533 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $55,000 | Between $27,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | ASRC Federal |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a locomotive mechanic and a mechanic's assistant in terms of educational background:
| Locomotive Mechanic | Mechanic's Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 33% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between locomotive mechanics' and mechanic's assistants' demographics:
| Locomotive Mechanic | Mechanic's Assistant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 2.5% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 2.3% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |