Refinish technician vs body shop worker

The differences between refinish technicians and body shop workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a body shop worker has an average salary of $51,013, which is higher than the $45,014 average annual salary of a refinish technician.

The top three skills for a refinish technician include paint brushes, body shop and stencils. The most important skills for a body shop worker are hand tools, body panels, and original equipment.

Refinish technician vs body shop worker overview

	Refinish Technician	Body Shop Worker
Yearly salary	$45,014	$51,013
Hourly rate	$21.64	$24.53
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	28,813	33,637
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Refinish technician vs body shop worker salary

Refinish technicians and body shop workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Refinish Technician	Body Shop Worker
Average salary	$45,014	$51,013
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $65,000	Between $37,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between refinish technician and body shop worker education

There are a few differences between a refinish technician and a body shop worker in terms of educational background:

	Refinish Technician	Body Shop Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Refinish technician vs body shop worker demographics

Here are the differences between refinish technicians' and body shop workers' demographics:

	Refinish Technician	Body Shop Worker
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3%	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 1.7% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between refinish technician and body shop worker duties and responsibilities

Refinish technician example responsibilities.

Apply all primers, sealers, basecoats and top coats as required.
Compose written reports of data collect from patient evaluation and present to department chief for thorough analysis of patient diagnosis.
Experience with both PPG and DuPont paint mixing systems, their applications, and all paint prep processes.

Body shop worker example responsibilities.

Utilize sophisticate diagnostic equipment to troubleshoot and correct vehicle computer, electrical, and mechanical, problems.
Utilize sophisticate diagnostic equipment to troubleshoot and correct vehicle computer, electrical, and mechanical, problems.

Refinish technician vs body shop worker skills

Common refinish technician skills

Paint Brushes, 38%
Body Shop, 20%
Stencils, 16%
I-Car, 9%
OEM, 8%
Coats, 3%

Common body shop worker skills

Hand Tools, 64%
Body Panels, 16%
Original Equipment, 11%
Safety Regulations, 4%
Repair Process, 4%
Repair Orders, 2%

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Installation, Maintenance and Repair Industry
Refinish Technician
Refinish Technician vs Body Shop Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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