Smog check technician vs certified technician

The differences between smog check technicians and certified 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 a certified technician. Additionally, a certified technician has an average salary of $52,208, which is higher than the $43,614 average annual salary of a smog check technician.

The top three skills for a smog check technician include repair orders, and . The most important skills for a certified technician are A+, patients, and patient care.

Smog check technician vs certified technician overview

	Smog Check Technician	Certified Technician
Yearly salary	$43,614	$52,208
Hourly rate	$20.97	$25.10
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	62,798	140,083
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Smog check technician vs certified technician salary

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

	Smog Check Technician	Certified Technician
Average salary	$43,614	$52,208
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $68,000	Between $32,000 And $84,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Connor Group
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between smog check technician and certified technician education

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

	Smog Check Technician	Certified Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Smog check technician vs certified technician demographics

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

	Smog Check Technician	Certified Technician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3%	Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7%
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, 9.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between smog check technician and certified 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.

Certified technician example responsibilities.

Lead and architect MDM migration from Sybase Afaria to Airwatch.
Manage a crew of 5 service technicians, providing repair and maintenance services for all HVAC.
Attain and maintain advanced level ASE certification.
Manage daily repair activities for high-volume Honda repair facility.
Oil changes top and bottom side transmission services ac services engine flush and license inspector.
Utilize several trade skills such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical, painting, roofing and heating and cooling systems.

Smog check technician vs certified technician skills

Common smog check technician skills

Repair Orders, 100%

Common certified technician skills

A+, 45%
Patients, 13%
Patient Care, 8%
Diagnosis, 5%
Customer Service, 2%
Customer Satisfaction, 2%

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Installation, Maintenance and Repair Industry
Smog Check Technician
Smog Check Technician vs Certified Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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