Smog check technician vs instrument technician apprentice

The differences between smog check technicians and instrument technician apprentices can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a smog check technician, becoming an instrument technician apprentice takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a smog check technician has an average salary of $43,614, which is higher than the $39,849 average annual salary of an instrument technician apprentice.

The top three skills for a smog check technician include repair orders, and . The most important skills for an instrument technician apprentice are hand tools, customer satisfaction, and diagnosis.

Smog check technician vs instrument technician apprentice overview

	Smog Check Technician	Instrument Technician Apprentice
Yearly salary	$43,614	$39,849
Hourly rate	$20.97	$19.16
Growth rate	1%	-
Number of jobs	62,798	130,235
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 28%
Average age	40	50
Years of experience	2	12

Smog check technician vs instrument technician apprentice salary

Smog check technicians and instrument technician apprentices have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Smog Check Technician	Instrument Technician Apprentice
Average salary	$43,614	$39,849
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $68,000	Between $27,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	Hayward, CA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Accenture
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between smog check technician and instrument technician apprentice education

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

	Smog Check Technician	Instrument Technician Apprentice
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 28%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Smog check technician vs instrument technician apprentice demographics

Here are the differences between smog check technicians' and instrument technician apprentices' demographics:

	Smog Check Technician	Instrument Technician Apprentice
Average age	40	50
Gender ratio	Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3%	Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1%
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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	2%	8%

Differences between smog check technician and instrument technician apprentice 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.

Instrument technician apprentice example responsibilities.

Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
Maintain the cleanliness of the shop.
Train, working under ASE certification standards.
Wire low volt and high volt generators for caterpillar.
Unload vehicles by driving and by the use of cranes.
Install HD brand and aftermarket, chrome and billet, parts and accessories.

Smog check technician vs instrument technician apprentice skills

Common smog check technician skills

Repair Orders, 100%

Common instrument technician apprentice skills

Hand Tools, 8%
Customer Satisfaction, 8%
Diagnosis, 7%
OSHA, 7%
Cleanliness, 7%
Customer Vehicles, 6%

Smog Check Technician vs. similar jobs

Smog Check Technician related careers

Smog Check Technician related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Installation, Maintenance and Repair Industry
Smog Check Technician
Smog Check Technician vs Instrument Technician Apprentice

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse installation, maintenance and repair jobs