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The differences between locomotive mechanics and shop 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 locomotive mechanic and a shop technician. Additionally, a locomotive mechanic has an average salary of $41,991, which is higher than the $36,798 average annual salary of a shop technician.
The top three skills for a locomotive mechanic include locomotives, hand tools and FRA. The most important skills for a shop technician are preventative maintenance, routine maintenance, and diagnosis.
| Locomotive Mechanic | Shop Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $41,991 | $36,798 |
| Hourly rate | $20.19 | $17.69 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 34,178 | 150,349 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 33% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Locomotive mechanics and shop technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Locomotive Mechanic | Shop Technician | |
| Average salary | $41,991 | $36,798 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $55,000 | Between $25,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Leandro, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Los Alamos National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a locomotive mechanic and a shop technician in terms of educational background:
| Locomotive Mechanic | Shop Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 33% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between locomotive mechanics' and shop technicians' demographics:
| Locomotive Mechanic | Shop Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% |
| 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, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |