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The differences between mechanic helpers and light wheel mechanics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a mechanic helper and a light wheel mechanic. Additionally, a light wheel mechanic has an average salary of $41,948, which is higher than the $31,892 average annual salary of a mechanic helper.
The top three skills for a mechanic helper include hand tools, work ethic and preventive maintenance. The most important skills for a light wheel mechanic are mechanical problems, electrical systems, and equipment systems.
| Mechanic Helper | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $31,892 | $41,948 |
| Hourly rate | $15.33 | $20.17 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 48,546 | 90,297 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 53% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The job of a mechanic helper is to support lead mechanics and perform a variety of duties and responsibilities. You will be assisting in the maintenance of cars, such as changing tires and oils, replacing brakes, and diagnosing vehicle issues. In addition, you will be responsible for logging labor costs and inventory use and take vehicles for test drives. Other duties include replacing belts and hoses, assisting the lead mechanic in major projects, and repairing and maintaining cars.
A light wheel mechanic is responsible for maintaining the optimal performance and efficiency of light-wheeled vehicles used for industrial operations, especially in a military setting. Light wheel mechanics inspect the condition of the vehicle's engine, perform preventive maintenance, replace defective components, assemble upgrade systems based on schematics and blueprints, and create resolution reports for reference. They must have excellent knowledge of the auto-mechanic industry to determine faults and identify repairs, avoiding delays, complications, and hazards during operations.
Mechanic helpers and light wheel mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanic Helper | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $31,892 | $41,948 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $41,000 | Between $25,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | - |
| Best paying company | Sierra Pacific Industries | - |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a mechanic helper and a light wheel mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Mechanic Helper | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 53% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between mechanic helpers' and light wheel mechanics' demographics:
| Mechanic Helper | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6% | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 2.3% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 2.5% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |