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The differences between service technicians and service advisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a service technician and a service advisor. Additionally, a service advisor has an average salary of $46,308, which is higher than the $40,379 average annual salary of a service technician.
The top three skills for a service technician include plumbing, customer service and preventative maintenance. The most important skills for a service advisor are customer service, product knowledge, and basic math.
| Service Technician | Service Advisor | |
| Yearly salary | $40,379 | $46,308 |
| Hourly rate | $19.41 | $22.26 |
| Growth rate | 8% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 254,533 | 222,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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 Advisors specialize in customer service in a car dealership or automotive shop. Acting as a front-desk representative, it is the Service Advisor's responsibility to greet clients and offer assistance, provide necessary and accurate information to customers regarding the automotive issues and needed repairs, respond to inquiries, and introduce the clients to the available mechanics. Moreover, Service Advisors must inform clients regarding the costs and warranties, keep the clients updated with the status of the repairs, coordinate with suppliers, and as well as manage the schedule of the mechanics.
Service technicians and service advisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Technician | Service Advisor | |
| Average salary | $40,379 | $46,308 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $57,000 | Between $26,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | IBM | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a service technician and a service advisor in terms of educational background:
| Service Technician | Service Advisor | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between service technicians' and service advisors' demographics:
| Service Technician | Service Advisor | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 6.1% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 1% | 7% |