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The differences between shop mechanics and auto technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a shop mechanic and an auto technician. Additionally, a shop mechanic has an average salary of $47,377, which is higher than the $41,435 average annual salary of an auto technician.
The top three skills for a shop mechanic include hand tools, preventative maintenance and hydraulic systems. The most important skills for an auto technician are taking care, preventive maintenance, and customer vehicles.
| Shop Mechanic | Auto Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $47,377 | $41,435 |
| Hourly rate | $22.78 | $19.92 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 100,379 | 131,515 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A shop mechanic is responsible for maintaining and repairing defective machinery and vehicles. Shop mechanics identify the disrupted components by inspecting and running diagnostic tests and informing the owner of the necessary procedures they need to take. They discuss the costs and expenses, the materials to be used, and the duration to fix the machine upon analyzing its complexity. A shop mechanic monitors the shop inventory, assemble parts, and upgrade engines and machinery for optimal performance.
An auto technician specializes in performing inspections, repairs, and maintenance on different automotive vehicles ranging from small cars to light trucks. Their responsibilities revolve around identifying issues using various diagnostic tools to determine which course of action to take, discussing the extent of repairs to clients, and ordering car parts from suppliers. There are also instances when an auto technician may have the task of maintaining the cleanliness of the workplace, or participate in record-keeping and monitoring the inventory.
Shop mechanics and auto technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Shop Mechanic | Auto Technician | |
| Average salary | $47,377 | $41,435 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $64,000 | Between $28,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Sterling, VA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Wilson Construction | Deloitte |
| Best paying industry | Government | Retail |
There are a few differences between a shop mechanic and an auto technician in terms of educational background:
| Shop Mechanic | Auto Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between shop mechanics' and auto technicians' demographics:
| Shop Mechanic | Auto Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.4% Female, 3.6% | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 2.4% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 5.0% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |