Smog check technician vs front end mechanic

The differences between smog check technicians and front end mechanics 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 front end mechanic. Additionally, a front end mechanic has an average salary of $44,190, 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 front end mechanic are front end, service desk, and javascript.

Smog check technician vs front end mechanic overview

	Smog Check Technician	Front End Mechanic
Yearly salary	$43,614	$44,190
Hourly rate	$20.97	$21.25
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	62,798	80,680
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Smog check technician vs front end mechanic salary

Smog check technicians and front end mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Smog Check Technician	Front End Mechanic
Average salary	$43,614	$44,190
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $68,000	Between $33,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between smog check technician and front end mechanic education

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

	Smog Check Technician	Front End Mechanic
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Smog check technician vs front end mechanic demographics

Here are the differences between smog check technicians' and front end mechanics' demographics:

	Smog Check Technician	Front End Mechanic
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3%	Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1%
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, 9.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between smog check technician and front end mechanic 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.

Front end mechanic example responsibilities.

Achieve traffic tracking and SEO with multiple satellite web sites.
Handle all cash, checks, and WIC.
Perform cash handling transactions through POS systems.
Assist Costco members throughout the warehouse to ensure customer satisfaction.
Promote Costco memberships in order to maximize profits for company and returns for Costco members.
Help customers with finding products, bag customer's groceries, and retrieve shopping carts from the parking lot.

Smog check technician vs front end mechanic skills

Common smog check technician skills

Repair Orders, 100%

Common front end mechanic skills

Front End, 43%
Service Desk, 11%
JavaScript, 9%
Groceries, 8%
HTML, 6%
GIT, 3%

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Installation, Maintenance and Repair Industry
Smog Check Technician
Smog Check Technician vs Front End Mechanic

Updated January 8, 2025

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