What does a mechanic helper do?
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.
Mechanic helper responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real mechanic helper resumes:
- Maintain and manage shop for parts, supplies and priority in jobs and cleanliness.
- Change motors, diagnose problems and clean air conditioner units and maintain HVAC equipment.
- Install or replace HVAC machinery, equipment and parts and using power tools or by hand.
- Operate hoists, and pulleys when removing units such as large compressors, condensers and chillers.
- Used specialty tools such as fixtures, engine hoists, jacks, brake caliper tools, pulley pullers and torque wrenches.
- Document repairs, modifications and inspections in accordance with FAA requirements on both paper and in an automate maintenance information database.
- Perform p.m service, brake jobs, a/c work, electrical and computer diagnostics.
- Remove transmissions, rebuild power steering gearboxes, replace rollers, and fix electrical problems inside and ouside of trucks.
- Fix and repair everything the company has, drive line truck and lowboy, anything need by company
- Haul dirt, gravel and sand in dumps and side dumps and haul heavy equipment on lowboys.
- Document repairs, modifications and inspections in accordance with FAA requirements on both paper and in an automate maintenance information database.
Mechanic helper skills and personality traits
We calculated that 24% of Mechanic Helpers are proficient in Hand Tools, Work Ethic, and Preventive Maintenance. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Detail oriented, and Dexterity.
We break down the percentage of Mechanic Helpers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Hand Tools, 24%
Worked in rebuild shop rebuilding Detroit series 60 engines using hand tools, torque wrenches and impact tools.
- Work Ethic, 11%
Received Navy Marine Corp Achievement Medal for exemplary work ethic and professionalism
- Preventive Maintenance, 8%
Established and completed equipment repairs, preventive maintenance for equipment delivered and received into Fleet Services for calibration and service.
- Safety Equipment, 6%
Wear all required safety equipment to include safety glasses, shoes, gloves and ear protection.
- Oil Changes, 5%
Serviced vehicles and equipment to include oil changes, greasing, adding fluids, changing filters and maintaining preventative maintenance schedules.
- Routine Maintenance, 4%
Cleaned, lubricated, and performed routine maintenance work on equipment and vehicles.
Common skills that a mechanic helper uses to do their job include "hand tools," "work ethic," and "preventive maintenance." You can find details on the most important mechanic helper responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. One of the key soft skills for a mechanic helper to have is customer-service skills. You can see how this relates to what mechanic helpers do because "diesel technicians frequently discuss automotive problems and necessary repairs with their customers." Additionally, a mechanic helper resume shows how mechanic helpers use customer-service skills: "performed routine maintenance on customer vehicles with a positive professional attitude. "
Detail oriented. Many mechanic helper duties rely on detail oriented. "diesel technicians must be aware of small details when inspecting or repairing engines and components, because mechanical and electronic malfunctions are often due to misalignments and other easy-to-miss causes.," so a mechanic helper will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways mechanic helper responsibilities rely on detail oriented: "preform preventive maintenance wash and detail trucks help convert trucks to a hy-rail system"
Dexterity. This is an important skill for mechanic helpers to perform their duties. For an example of how mechanic helper responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "mechanics need a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination for many tasks, such as disassembling engine parts, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a mechanic helper: "wash and maintenance light towers ,manlifts, forklifts ,generators, air compressors. ".
Mechanical skills. mechanic helper responsibilities often require "mechanical skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "diesel technicians must be familiar with engine components and systems and know how they interact with each other." This resume example shows what mechanic helpers do with mechanical skills on a typical day: "performed general preventive maintenance on manual and automatic transmissions, all mechanical systems and components. "
Organizational skills. Another crucial skill for a mechanic helper to carry out their responsibilities is "organizational skills." A big part of what mechanic helpers relies on this skill, since "diesel technicians must keep workspaces clean and organized in order to maintain safety and accountability for parts." How this skill relates to mechanic helper duties can be seen in an example from a mechanic helper resume snippet: "researched and implemented organizational maintenance practices/techniques, repair/replace components of the engine, cooling system, brake system, hydraulic system. "
Physical strength. Lastly, "physical strength" is an important element of what a mechanic helper does. Mechanic helper responsibilities require this skill because "diesel technicians often lift heavy parts and tools, such as exhaust system components and pneumatic wrenches." This resume example highlights how mechanic helper duties rely on this skill: "required to maintain class a license and dot physical according to federal regulations. "
The three companies that hire the most mechanic helpers are:
- Pike4 mechanic helpers jobs
- Jabil2 mechanic helpers jobs
- MDU Resources2 mechanic helpers jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable mechanic helper resume templates
Build a professional mechanic helper resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your mechanic helper resume.
Compare different mechanic helpers
Mechanic helper vs. Automotive service technician
Automotive service technicians, often called service technicians, have a duty to inspect, maintain, and repair cars and even light trucks. It is their job as automotive service technicians to find problems, often by computerized diagnostic equipment. They do test parts and systems to guarantee that they work properly and follow checklists to ensure that every critical part is examined. Performing basic care and maintenance is also part of their main tasks, including changing oil, rotating tires, and checking fluid levels.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, mechanic helper responsibilities require skills like "strong work ethic," "preventive maintenance," "safety equipment," and "routine maintenance." Meanwhile a typical automotive service technician has skills in areas such as "customer service," "dexterity," "manual dexterity," and "customer satisfaction." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Automotive service technicians earn the highest salaries when working in the health care industry, with an average yearly salary of $38,929. On the other hand, mechanic helpers are paid more in the professional industry with an average salary of $36,229.automotive service technicians tend to reach similar levels of education than mechanic helpers. In fact, automotive service technicians are 0.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Mechanic helper vs. Mobile equipment mechanic
Mobile equipment mechanics are skilled employees who are responsible for conducting repairs and maintenance of construction and surface mining equipment such as bulldozers, cranes, and excavators. These mechanics must inspect machines and heavy equipment while evaluating operating manuals to perform diagnosis and resolve any defects. They are required to use hand and power tools to perform repairs on the defective equipment parts. Mobile equipment mechanics must also check any open circuits on the electrical systems of heavy equipment.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, mechanic helper responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "routine maintenance," and "safety procedures." Meanwhile, a mobile equipment mechanic has duties that require skills in areas such as "cranes," "loaders," "mechanical systems," and "asphalt." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Mobile equipment mechanics may earn a higher salary than mechanic helpers, but mobile equipment mechanics earn the most pay in the government industry with an average salary of $84,306. On the other hand, mechanic helpers receive higher pay in the professional industry, where they earn an average salary of $36,229.mobile equipment mechanics earn similar levels of education than mechanic helpers in general. They're 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Mechanic helper vs. Light wheel mechanic
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.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, mechanic helpers are more likely to have skills like "hand tools," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "preventive maintenance." But a light wheel mechanic is more likely to have skills like "equipment systems," "mos," "track vehicles," and "ait."
Most light wheel mechanics achieve a similar degree level compared to mechanic helpers. For example, they're 1.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Mechanic helper vs. Automotive mechanic
An automotive mechanic is responsible for inspecting the vehicle's engine, identifying defects and inconsistencies, and repairing malfunctioning components through diagnostic tests. Automotive mechanics diagnose problems and inform the customers of troubleshooting procedures and provide cost estimates for maintenance. They may also offer additional services to boost the engine's optimal performance and efficiency, at the same time, to generate more revenues for the business. An automotive mechanic must have excellent knowledge of the automotive industry, especially in responding to the inquiries and concerns of the customers regarding their vehicles and schedule regular repairs as necessary.
Types of mechanic helper
Updated January 8, 2025
