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The differences between mechanic's assistants 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's assistant and a light wheel mechanic. Additionally, a light wheel mechanic has an average salary of $41,948, 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 light wheel mechanic are mechanical problems, electrical systems, and equipment systems.
| Mechanic's Assistant | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $41,533 | $41,948 |
| Hourly rate | $19.97 | $20.17 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 40,249 | 90,297 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| 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 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's assistants and light wheel mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanic's Assistant | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $41,533 | $41,948 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $63,000 | Between $25,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | New York | - |
| Best paying company | ASRC Federal | - |
| Best paying industry | Energy | - |
There are a few differences between a mechanic's assistant and a light wheel mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Mechanic's Assistant | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between mechanic's assistants' and light wheel mechanics' demographics:
| Mechanic's Assistant | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% |
| 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, 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% |