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The differences between shop mechanics and shop 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 a shop technician. Additionally, a shop mechanic has an average salary of $47,377, which is higher than the $36,798 average annual salary of a shop technician.
The top three skills for a shop mechanic include hand tools, preventative maintenance and hydraulic systems. The most important skills for a shop technician are preventative maintenance, routine maintenance, and diagnosis.
| Shop Mechanic | Shop Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $47,377 | $36,798 |
| Hourly rate | $22.78 | $17.69 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 100,379 | 150,349 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| 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.
Shop Technicians are skilled workers assigned to a retail store. Their main activities depend on the nature of the business their company is in. Usually, Shop Technicians work with machines in the shop. They conduct repair and maintenance work for machines that have long been in the shop. They are also in charge of installing and building new machines as well. Shop Technicians are assigned to manage records of such machines or s other mechanical items in the store. This is part of the administrative activities they may do for the shop.
Shop mechanics and shop technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Shop Mechanic | Shop Technician | |
| Average salary | $47,377 | $36,798 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $64,000 | Between $25,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | San Leandro, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Wilson Construction | Los Alamos National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Government | Energy |
There are a few differences between a shop mechanic and a shop technician in terms of educational background:
| Shop Mechanic | Shop Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between shop mechanics' and shop technicians' demographics:
| Shop Mechanic | Shop Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.4% Female, 3.6% | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% |
| 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, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |