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The differences between mechanic's assistants and diesel 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's assistant and a diesel mechanic. Additionally, a diesel mechanic has an average salary of $49,842, which is higher than the $41,533 average annual salary of a mechanic's assistant.
The top three skills for a mechanic's assistant include preventative maintenance, hand tools and OSHA. The most important skills for a diesel mechanic are CDL, preventative maintenance, and DOT.
| Mechanic's Assistant | Diesel Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $41,533 | $49,842 |
| Hourly rate | $19.97 | $23.96 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 40,249 | 85,684 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A mechanics assistant job involves assisting mechanics in operating, repairing, and refurbishing vehicles. Primarily, mechanics assistants work on the installation, repair, and replacement of an automobile's mechanical parts. They need to be knowledgeable of the processes and composition of automobiles. Also, they execute the opening and closing tasks in stores. The skillset for this position includes a strong work ethic, diagnostic skills, problem-solving, prior experience, customer service skills, and resourcefulness.
A diesel mechanic is a skilled technician responsible for the checking, maintenance, and repair of diesel engines. Diesel mechanics duties also include regular inspections of vehicles upon customer's request to ensure the smooth performance of the machine, communicate on any system issue that might cause malfunctions, and provide any replacement to renovate a damaged part of the engine. A diesel mechanic must be highly-knowledgeable on everything related to diesel engines to provide the best, long-term solutions for the customers.
Mechanic's assistants and diesel mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanic's Assistant | Diesel Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $41,533 | $49,842 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $63,000 | Between $37,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | ASRC Federal | Hensel Phelps |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a mechanic's assistant and a diesel mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Mechanic's Assistant | Diesel Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between mechanic's assistants' and diesel mechanics' demographics:
| Mechanic's Assistant | Diesel Mechanic | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% | Male, 96.3% Female, 3.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |