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The differences between service mechanics 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 service mechanic and a light wheel mechanic. Additionally, a service mechanic has an average salary of $47,240, which is higher than the $41,948 average annual salary of a light wheel mechanic.
The top three skills for a service mechanic include customer service, preventative maintenance and hydraulic systems. The most important skills for a light wheel mechanic are mechanical problems, electrical systems, and equipment systems.
| Service Mechanic | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $47,240 | $41,948 |
| Hourly rate | $22.71 | $20.17 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 116,383 | 90,297 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A service mechanic, or often known as a service technician, is an individual who inspects, maintains, and repairs cars and light trucks. Service mechanics must identify the vehicle's problems by using computerized diagnostic equipment and test parts and systems to ensure that they work properly. They must perform basic vehicular care and maintenance such as changing oil, checking fluid levels, and rotating tires. Service mechanics should also explain automotive problems to customers and perform repairs according to the manufacturer ad customer specifications.
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.
Service mechanics and light wheel mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Mechanic | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $47,240 | $41,948 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $66,000 | Between $25,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Sandia National Labs | - |
| Best paying industry | Energy | - |
There are a few differences between a service mechanic and a light wheel mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Service Mechanic | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between service mechanics' and light wheel mechanics' demographics:
| Service Mechanic | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.8% Female, 3.2% | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 2.4% White, 65.0% 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% |