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The differences between mechanics supervisors and heavy duty mechanics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a mechanics supervisor, becoming a heavy duty mechanic takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a mechanics supervisor has an average salary of $65,285, which is higher than the $49,563 average annual salary of a heavy duty mechanic.
The top three skills for a mechanics supervisor include preventive maintenance, safety procedures and mechanical maintenance. The most important skills for a heavy duty mechanic are CDL, hand tools, and preventive maintenance.
| Mechanics Supervisor | Heavy Duty Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $65,285 | $49,563 |
| Hourly rate | $31.39 | $23.83 |
| Growth rate | - | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 7,956 | 51,609 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 31% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Average age | 49 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A mechanics supervisor is responsible for coordinating mechanical and installation work and supervising installers, mechanics, and repairmen. They are responsible for scheduling these tasks and ensuring all operations run efficiently. Mechanics supervisors also inspect work done by mechanics under their supervision, examine tools to ensure that they are in good working condition, and maintain logs of machine repair and maintenance.
Heavy-duty mechanics are skilled employees who are responsible for providing repairs and maintenance of mobile heavy-duty construction equipment. These mechanics must perform inspections on equipment such as bulldozers, cranes, and other heavy construction equipment to detect faults and malfunctions to ensure proper performance. They must test the repaired equipment to ensure that the repair works meet the specifications of the manufacturers. Heavy-duty mechanics must also provide a safe working environment and take special precautions to protect themselves against work-related injuries.
Mechanics supervisors and heavy duty mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanics Supervisor | Heavy Duty Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $65,285 | $49,563 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $85,000 | Between $36,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Cirrus Aircraft | Granite Construction |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Construction |
There are a few differences between a mechanics supervisor and a heavy duty mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Mechanics Supervisor | Heavy Duty Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 31% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | - |
Here are the differences between mechanics supervisors' and heavy duty mechanics' demographics:
| Mechanics Supervisor | Heavy Duty Mechanic | |
| Average age | 49 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.3% Female, 4.7% | Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 2.1% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 2% |