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The differences between tire technicians and light wheel mechanics 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 a light wheel mechanic takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a light wheel mechanic has an average salary of $41,948, 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 a light wheel mechanic are mechanical problems, electrical systems, and equipment systems.
| Tire Technician | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $38,376 | $41,948 |
| Hourly rate | $18.45 | $20.17 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 110,586 | 90,297 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 56% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Average age | 36 | 42 |
| 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.
A light wheel mechanic is responsible for maintaining the optimal performance and efficiency of light-wheeled vehicles used for industrial operations, especially in a military setting. Light wheel mechanics inspect the condition of the vehicle's engine, perform preventive maintenance, replace defective components, assemble upgrade systems based on schematics and blueprints, and create resolution reports for reference. They must have excellent knowledge of the auto-mechanic industry to determine faults and identify repairs, avoiding delays, complications, and hazards during operations.
Tire technicians and light wheel mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tire Technician | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $38,376 | $41,948 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $53,000 | Between $25,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, NJ | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | - |
| Best paying company | State Street | - |
| Best paying industry | Retail | - |
There are a few differences between a tire technician and a light wheel mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Tire Technician | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 56% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between tire technicians' and light wheel mechanics' demographics:
| Tire Technician | Light Wheel Mechanic | |
| Average age | 36 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.5% Female, 3.5% | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% |
| 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, 9.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 2.5% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 2% |