Wheel alignment mechanic vs mechanic's assistant

The differences between wheel alignment mechanics and mechanic's assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a wheel alignment mechanic and a mechanic's assistant. Additionally, a wheel alignment mechanic has an average salary of $41,985, which is higher than the $41,533 average annual salary of a mechanic's assistant.

The top three skills for a wheel alignment mechanic include electrical systems, troubleshoot and preventive maintenance checks. The most important skills for a mechanic's assistant are preventative maintenance, hand tools, and OSHA.

Wheel alignment mechanic vs mechanic's assistant overview

	Wheel Alignment Mechanic	Mechanic's Assistant
Yearly salary	$41,985	$41,533
Hourly rate	$20.19	$19.97
Growth rate	1%	4%
Number of jobs	34,558	40,249
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 41%
Average age	40	42
Years of experience	2	2

Wheel alignment mechanic vs mechanic's assistant salary

Wheel alignment mechanics and mechanic's assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Wheel Alignment Mechanic	Mechanic's Assistant
Average salary	$41,985	$41,533
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $67,000	Between $27,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	ASRC Federal
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between wheel alignment mechanic and mechanic's assistant education

There are a few differences between a wheel alignment mechanic and a mechanic's assistant in terms of educational background:

	Wheel Alignment Mechanic	Mechanic's Assistant
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 41%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Wheel alignment mechanic vs mechanic's assistant demographics

Here are the differences between wheel alignment mechanics' and mechanic's assistants' demographics:

	Wheel Alignment Mechanic	Mechanic's Assistant
Average age	40	42
Gender ratio	Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7%	Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 2.3% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between wheel alignment mechanic and mechanic's assistant duties and responsibilities

Wheel alignment mechanic example responsibilities.

Service and repair for Porsche, Audi, and Volkswagen automobiles.
Raise trucks, vehicles, and heavy parts or equipment using hydraulic jacks or hoists.
Work in there fleet department repairing and diagnosis on all emergency apparatuses and ambulances and police vehicles also include maintenance schedules.
Perform maintenance on M113, M88, M1A1, and M578 track vehicles.
Diagnose and repair M113 family of vehicles.
Diagnose electrical, air, hydraulics, and fuel problems on a variety of vehicles such as AVLB and M88 tanks.

Mechanic's assistant example responsibilities.

Manage paperwork associate with HVAC procedures and invoices
Remove defective parts by dismantling devices; using hoists, cranes, and hand and power tools.
Light duty power equipment, chainsaws, string trimmers, leaf blowers, snow blowers, etc.
Work extensively with HVAC in automotive capacity.
Document repairs, modifications and inspections in accordance with FAA requirements on both paper and in an automate maintenance information database.
Pick up and deliver a/c units, parts and materials to jobsite.

Wheel alignment mechanic vs mechanic's assistant skills

Common wheel alignment mechanic skills

Electrical Systems, 10%
Troubleshoot, 7%
Preventive Maintenance Checks, 5%
Hydraulic Systems, 5%
Equipment Systems, 5%
Routine Maintenance, 5%

Common mechanic's assistant skills

Preventative Maintenance, 12%
Hand Tools, 10%
OSHA, 8%
Safety Equipment, 6%
Oil Changes, 6%
Routine Maintenance, 5%

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Installation, Maintenance and Repair Industry
Wheel Alignment Mechanic
Wheel Alignment Mechanic vs Mechanic's Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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