Smog check technician vs alignment technician

The differences between smog check technicians and alignment 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 smog check technician and an alignment technician. Additionally, a smog check technician has an average salary of $43,614, which is higher than the $38,020 average annual salary of an alignment technician.

The top three skills for a smog check technician include repair orders, and . The most important skills for an alignment technician are customer service, hand tools, and power steering.

Smog check technician vs alignment technician overview

	Smog Check Technician	Alignment Technician
Yearly salary	$43,614	$38,020
Hourly rate	$20.97	$18.28
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	62,798	143,585
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Smog check technician vs alignment technician salary

Smog check technicians and alignment technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Smog Check Technician	Alignment Technician
Average salary	$43,614	$38,020
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $68,000	Between $25,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between smog check technician and alignment technician education

There are a few differences between a smog check technician and an alignment technician in terms of educational background:

	Smog Check Technician	Alignment Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Smog check technician vs alignment technician demographics

Here are the differences between smog check technicians' and alignment technicians' demographics:

	Smog Check Technician	Alignment Technician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3%	Male, 95.9% Female, 4.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 5.8% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between smog check technician and alignment technician duties and responsibilities

Smog check technician example responsibilities.

Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
Implement PLC programming and troubleshooting procedures while also initiating and executing process improvements and conducting parts research when necessary.
Follow all HIPAA guidelines with no exception.

Alignment technician example responsibilities.

Repair wheels using grinders, sanders and paint equipment.
Straighten bend or damage alloy wheels.
Assist with MIG welding and exhaust work.
Perform all general lube and oil filter changes.
Used a grinder and DA sanders to remove damage from rims.
Clean and resize bearing fillet and dust guard seat using various grinders.

Smog check technician vs alignment technician skills

Common smog check technician skills

Repair Orders, 100%

Common alignment technician skills

Customer Service, 39%
Hand Tools, 34%
Power Steering, 10%
Customer Vehicles, 6%
Customer Satisfaction, 4%
Diagnosis, 1%

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Smog Check Technician
Smog Check Technician vs Alignment Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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