Automotive Technician vs Diesel Repair Technician: What’s the Difference?
If you’re trying to set your career’s course in automotive, you may think both the role of automotive technician and diesel repair technician could play to your love of cars and mechanics. Well, you would be right!
In this post, Automotive Training Center (ATC) put the role of entry-level automotive technician and diesel repair technician back to back to help you zero in on what makes these career paths unique.
Mainstream vs Commercial Vehicles
One way to get to the root of which position is the right one to set your sights on is to think about what types of vehicles you prefer to work on. So, what cars are idling in your dream garage?
Let’s say you’ve always done your own routine maintenance at home and get great fulfillment out of diagnosing issues with mainstream vehicles. You might even perform these fixes and modifications for your friends and family. If this is the case, diving deeper into the automotive technician role may be a good direction to follow.
On the other hand, if you’re enamored with working on mega engines and being the driving force behind big trucks, tractors, and heavy-duty equipment, there’s a lot to like about the prospects of becoming a diesel repair technician.
Auto vs Diesel Technician: Responsibilities & Work Setting
As you can imagine, both automotive and diesel repair technicians are responsible for keeping the vehicles that come into their respective shops running at their best. Tasked with fixing any issues that may arise with any part of the machine at hand, either career opportunity features a daily routine that’s fast-paced, versatile, and exciting.
Automotive technicians are likely to work either in a dealership’s service center or at an independent repair shop. Diesel repair technicians may also work in a dealership’s service center, a dedicated diesel repair shop, or a mobile workshop—some diesel repair techs may make “house calls” so to speak, traveling to the farm or construction site where the vehicle is broken down or kept to make repairs.
Additional Career Paths
In addition to working in the technician role, a variety of entry-level career paths await those who have earned their diploma in Automotive Technology and Automotive and Diesel Technology. For automotive technicians, these include insurance investigator, engine rebuilder, service consultant, or parts representative.
In addition to technician, Automotive and Diesel Technology program graduates can consider additional opportunities, such as power generator technician, injection pump rebuilder/calibrator, or service writer.
Automotive Technician vs Diesel Repair Technician: Which Will You Pursue?
We hope this comparison of automotive technician vs. diesel repair technician helped you get a better feel for how these entry-level positions are different, as well as how they’re similar. If you’re interested in following either of these career paths, steps one and two toward being eligible to apply is enrolling in and completing a two-year, post-secondary automotive training program.
Ready to get started? Check out ATC’s Automotive Technology program and Automotive and Diesel Technology program pages for more information!
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