Wheel alignment mechanic vs shop technician

The differences between wheel alignment 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 wheel alignment mechanic and a shop technician. Additionally, a wheel alignment mechanic has an average salary of $41,985, which is higher than the $36,798 average annual salary of a shop technician.

The top three skills for a wheel alignment mechanic include electrical systems, troubleshoot and preventive maintenance checks. The most important skills for a shop technician are preventative maintenance, routine maintenance, and diagnosis.

Wheel alignment mechanic vs shop technician overview

	Wheel Alignment Mechanic	Shop Technician
Yearly salary	$41,985	$36,798
Hourly rate	$20.19	$17.69
Growth rate	1%	4%
Number of jobs	34,558	150,349
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 30%
Average age	40	42
Years of experience	2	2

Wheel alignment mechanic vs shop technician salary

Wheel alignment mechanics and shop technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Wheel Alignment Mechanic	Shop Technician
Average salary	$41,985	$36,798
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $67,000	Between $25,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	San Leandro, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Los Alamos National Laboratory
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between wheel alignment mechanic and shop technician education

There are a few differences between a wheel alignment mechanic and a shop technician in terms of educational background:

	Wheel Alignment Mechanic	Shop Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 30%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Wheel alignment mechanic vs shop technician demographics

Here are the differences between wheel alignment mechanics' and shop technicians' demographics:

	Wheel Alignment Mechanic	Shop Technician
Average age	40	42
Gender ratio	Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7%	Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1%
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, 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%

Differences between wheel alignment mechanic and shop technician 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.

Shop technician example responsibilities.

Work with a recording POS sheets to be transfer to companies expenses.
Maintain cleanliness of shop to promote organization which contribute to safety for other employees.
Contribute to the overall cleanliness of the fabrication lab by sweeping, cleaning machinery and arranging scrap materials.
Assist management with inventory, receiving, POS, window and screen repairs and to assemble power equipment.
Shop technician and foreman responsible for timely repair and diagnosis of medium to large heavy duty diesel trucks and equipment.
Diagnose, adjust, repair, hydraulic, and pneumatic equipment, such as cranes, and conveyors used in shop.

Wheel alignment mechanic vs shop technician 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 shop technician skills

Preventative Maintenance, 12%
Routine Maintenance, 9%
Diagnosis, 7%
Cranes, 7%
Electrical Systems, 7%
Customer Service, 6%

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Installation, Maintenance and Repair Industry
Wheel Alignment Mechanic
Wheel Alignment Mechanic vs Shop Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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