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The differences between master automotive technicians 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 master automotive technician and a shop technician. Additionally, a master automotive technician has an average salary of $66,289, which is higher than the $36,798 average annual salary of a shop technician.
The top three skills for a master automotive technician include diagnosis, electrical systems and ASE. The most important skills for a shop technician are preventative maintenance, routine maintenance, and diagnosis.
| Master Automotive Technician | Shop Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $66,289 | $36,798 |
| Hourly rate | $31.87 | $17.69 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 124,843 | 150,349 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 39% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A master automotive technician is an expert in auto repair work. This position is also known as an automotive master mechanic, and the primary qualification for this position is a certification from an automotive service institute. Their job duties include overseeing and signing off on repairs done by the other mechanics, taking automobile components apart, inspecting parts of the automobile, making repairs where necessary, reviewing work orders, and communicating with both the clients and the management. Sometimes, they specialize in particular areas.
Shop Technicians are skilled workers assigned to a retail store. Their main activities depend on the nature of the business their company is in. Usually, Shop Technicians work with machines in the shop. They conduct repair and maintenance work for machines that have long been in the shop. They are also in charge of installing and building new machines as well. Shop Technicians are assigned to manage records of such machines or s other mechanical items in the store. This is part of the administrative activities they may do for the shop.
Master automotive technicians and shop technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Master Automotive Technician | Shop Technician | |
| Average salary | $66,289 | $36,798 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $107,000 | Between $25,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Austin, TX | San Leandro, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Medical Billing | Los Alamos National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Energy |
There are a few differences between a master automotive technician and a shop technician in terms of educational background:
| Master Automotive Technician | Shop Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 39% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between master automotive technicians' and shop technicians' demographics:
| Master Automotive Technician | Shop Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.9% Female, 4.1% | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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% |