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The differences between service mechanics and service mechanical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a service mechanic, becoming a service mechanical technician takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a service mechanical technician has an average salary of $47,820, which is higher than the $47,240 average annual salary of a service mechanic.
The top three skills for a service mechanic include customer service, preventative maintenance and hydraulic systems. The most important skills for a service mechanical technician are customer service, diagnosis, and hydraulic systems.
| Service Mechanic | Service Mechanical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $47,240 | $47,820 |
| Hourly rate | $22.71 | $22.99 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 116,383 | 146,216 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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 service mechanical technician specializes in installing and repairing mechanical equipment and systems. Although the extent of their responsibilities differs upon their industry of employment, it typically includes working together with engineers in developing and testing equipment, troubleshooting problems, performing adjustments and calibrations, maintaining records, and performing regular maintenance checks to ensure the equipment's quality and capacity. Moreover, a service mechanical technician may also provide technical support to clients and co-workers, all while adhering to the company's safety standards and regulations.
Service mechanics and service mechanical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Mechanic | Service Mechanical Technician | |
| Average salary | $47,240 | $47,820 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $66,000 | Between $33,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Oxnard, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Sandia National Labs | State Street |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a service mechanic and a service mechanical technician in terms of educational background:
| Service Mechanic | Service Mechanical Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between service mechanics' and service mechanical technicians' demographics:
| Service Mechanic | Service Mechanical Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.8% Female, 3.2% | Male, 97.9% Female, 2.1% |
| 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, 9.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 7.4% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 6% |