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The differences between tire technicians and auto technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a tire technician, becoming an auto technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an auto technician has an average salary of $41,435, which is higher than the $38,376 average annual salary of a tire technician.
The top three skills for a tire technician include customer service, commercial vehicles and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for an auto technician are taking care, preventive maintenance, and customer vehicles.
| Tire Technician | Auto Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,376 | $41,435 |
| Hourly rate | $18.45 | $19.92 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 110,586 | 131,515 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 2 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 56% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Average age | 36 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
Tire technicians typically work in car dealerships and automotive repair shops to inspect, replace, install and repair tires on trucks, cars, and other vehicles. They tend to work alongside the mechanics with a focus on ensuring that tires are reliable, safe, and work with other car systems. To be qualified in this position, you should be very attentive to detail as you typically will examine for signs of tire failure and wear. Tire technicians are also responsible for giving recommendations to customers about tire care and replacement.
An auto technician specializes in performing inspections, repairs, and maintenance on different automotive vehicles ranging from small cars to light trucks. Their responsibilities revolve around identifying issues using various diagnostic tools to determine which course of action to take, discussing the extent of repairs to clients, and ordering car parts from suppliers. There are also instances when an auto technician may have the task of maintaining the cleanliness of the workplace, or participate in record-keeping and monitoring the inventory.
Tire technicians and auto technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tire Technician | Auto Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,376 | $41,435 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $53,000 | Between $28,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, NJ | Sterling, VA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | State Street | Deloitte |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Retail |
There are a few differences between a tire technician and an auto technician in terms of educational background:
| Tire Technician | Auto Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 56% | High School Diploma, 38% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between tire technicians' and auto technicians' demographics:
| Tire Technician | Auto Technician | |
| Average age | 36 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.5% Female, 3.5% | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.7% Asian, 2.1% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 5.0% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 2% |