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The differences between vehicle mechanics and shop 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 vehicle mechanic and a shop technician. Additionally, a vehicle mechanic has an average salary of $42,628, which is higher than the $36,798 average annual salary of a shop technician.
The top three skills for a vehicle mechanic include hand tools, electrical systems and diesel engines. The most important skills for a shop technician are preventative maintenance, routine maintenance, and diagnosis.
| Vehicle Mechanic | Shop Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $42,628 | $36,798 |
| Hourly rate | $20.49 | $17.69 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 37,592 | 150,349 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A vehicle mechanic is responsible for the maintenance of the vehicle's engine, running diagnostic tests, and performing repairs for any inconsistencies to ensure the vehicle's reliability and efficiency upon use. Vehicle mechanics coordinate with clients with their specifications and special requests, such as installing upgraded components to improve the engine's optimal performance. They create an organized report of vehicle assessments, as well as forecasting expenses to discuss with the clients, especially on meeting their budget goals.
Shop Technicians are skilled workers assigned to a retail store. Their main activities depend on the nature of the business their company is in. Usually, Shop Technicians work with machines in the shop. They conduct repair and maintenance work for machines that have long been in the shop. They are also in charge of installing and building new machines as well. Shop Technicians are assigned to manage records of such machines or s other mechanical items in the store. This is part of the administrative activities they may do for the shop.
Vehicle mechanics and shop technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Vehicle Mechanic | Shop Technician | |
| Average salary | $42,628 | $36,798 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $62,000 | Between $25,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Adelanto, CA | San Leandro, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between a vehicle mechanic and a shop technician in terms of educational background:
| Vehicle Mechanic | Shop Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between vehicle mechanics' and shop technicians' demographics:
| Vehicle Mechanic | Shop Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 2.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |