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The differences between shop technicians 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 shop technician, 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 $36,798 average annual salary of a shop technician.
The top three skills for a shop technician include preventative maintenance, routine maintenance and diagnosis. The most important skills for a service mechanical technician are customer service, diagnosis, and hydraulic systems.
| Shop Technician | Service Mechanical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $36,798 | $47,820 |
| Hourly rate | $17.69 | $22.99 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 150,349 | 146,216 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | Associate Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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.
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.
Shop technicians and service mechanical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Shop Technician | Service Mechanical Technician | |
| Average salary | $36,798 | $47,820 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $53,000 | Between $33,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Leandro, CA | Oxnard, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | State Street |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a shop technician and a service mechanical technician in terms of educational background:
| Shop Technician | Service Mechanical Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | Associate Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between shop technicians' and service mechanical technicians' demographics:
| Shop Technician | Service Mechanical Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% | Male, 97.9% Female, 2.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |