Smog check technician vs mechanical detailer

The differences between smog check technicians and mechanical detailers 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 mechanical detailer. Additionally, a smog check technician has an average salary of $43,614, which is higher than the $41,030 average annual salary of a mechanical detailer.

The top three skills for a smog check technician include repair orders, and . The most important skills for a mechanical detailer are customer vehicles, CAD, and solidworks.

Smog check technician vs mechanical detailer overview

	Smog Check Technician	Mechanical Detailer
Yearly salary	$43,614	$41,030
Hourly rate	$20.97	$19.73
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	62,798	24,721
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 mechanical detailer salary

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

	Smog Check Technician	Mechanical Detailer
Average salary	$43,614	$41,030
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $68,000	Between $30,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between smog check technician and mechanical detailer education

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

	Smog Check Technician	Mechanical Detailer
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Drafting And Design
Most common college	-	-

Smog check technician vs mechanical detailer demographics

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

	Smog Check Technician	Mechanical Detailer
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, 10.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between smog check technician and mechanical detailer 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.

Mechanical detailer example responsibilities.

Manage document collation for field distribution of MEP plans to shop and field.
Heat treat of metal.operate CNC lathes, CNC mills, CNC grinders.
Do mostly foreign and domestic cars, SUV and commercial diesel truck.
Maintain equipment, rebuild spindles, install motors, gearboxes, perform preventative maintenance.
Provide professional automobile detailing services with a variety of cleaning techniques and products to ensure the desired level of superior cleanliness.
Operate and troubleshoot production line machinery and computers.

Smog check technician vs mechanical detailer skills

Common smog check technician skills

Repair Orders, 100%

Common mechanical detailer skills

Customer Vehicles, 18%
CAD, 17%
Solidworks, 13%
Shop Drawings, 12%
HVAC, 9%
Plumbing, 8%

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Installation, Maintenance and Repair Industry
Smog Check Technician
Smog Check Technician vs Mechanical Detailer

Updated January 8, 2025

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