Smog check technician vs master technician

The differences between smog check technicians and master 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 master technician. Additionally, a master technician has an average salary of $97,027, 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 master technician are strong customer service, customer vehicles, and engine performance.

Smog check technician vs master technician overview

	Smog Check Technician	Master Technician
Yearly salary	$43,614	$97,027
Hourly rate	$20.97	$46.65
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	62,798	137,644
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 38%	Associate Degree, 33%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	2

Smog check technician vs master technician salary

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

	Smog Check Technician	Master Technician
Average salary	$43,614	$97,027
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $68,000	Between $62,000 And $150,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Teradata
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between smog check technician and master technician education

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

	Smog Check Technician	Master Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 38%	Associate Degree, 33%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Smog check technician vs master technician demographics

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

	Smog Check Technician	Master Technician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3%	Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3%
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, 9.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between smog check technician and master 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.

Master technician example responsibilities.

Manage daily repair activities for high-volume Honda repair facility.
Diagnose, estimate and repair Toyota cars and trucks, quality control.
Plan and perform maintenance, troubleshooting and repair on a variety of BMW brand motorcycles.
Diagnose, inspect and repair air conditioning and heating (HVAC) problems on manual and automatic systems.
Attend necessary Toyota classes in order to excel in diagnosing and repairing all emerging models of the Toyota products.
Perform all aspects of repairs, including but not limit to engines, drive trains, brakes and HVAC systems.

Smog check technician vs master technician skills

Common smog check technician skills

Repair Orders, 100%

Common master technician skills

Strong Customer Service, 29%
Customer Vehicles, 20%
Engine Performance, 5%
Maintenance Services, 4%
ASE, 3%
Diagnostic Equipment, 2%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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