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The differences between service mechanics and service 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 technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a service mechanic has an average salary of $47,240, which is higher than the $40,379 average annual salary of a service technician.
The top three skills for a service mechanic include customer service, preventative maintenance and hydraulic systems. The most important skills for a service technician are plumbing, customer service, and preventative maintenance.
| Service Mechanic | Service Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $47,240 | $40,379 |
| Hourly rate | $22.71 | $19.41 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 116,383 | 254,533 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 29% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
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.
Service technicians are assigned in the field to address the concerns of their clients. Service technicians are responsible for the installation, maintenance, or repair of different units or items related to their company's products or services. They should be familiar with their company's products so that they can properly install, maintain, or repair them. They conduct diagnostics and analysis to assess the condition of the unit they are servicing and properly address problems. They also do routine maintenance check-ups. Service technicians are expected to be trustworthy, have good analytical skills, and have good decision-making skills.
Service mechanics and service technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Mechanic | Service Technician | |
| Average salary | $47,240 | $40,379 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $66,000 | Between $28,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Sandia National Labs | IBM |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a service mechanic and a service technician in terms of educational background:
| Service Mechanic | Service Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 29% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between service mechanics' and service technicians' demographics:
| Service Mechanic | Service Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.8% Female, 3.2% | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% |
| 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, 5.1% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 1.7% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 1% |