Automotive Technician vs Machinist
Measured from each occupation's own live postings: related jobs with a real gap between them. Posted pay favors the automotive technician by about $11k at the midpoint.
The short answer
On pay, automotive technicians come out ahead by about $11k a year at the midpoint of posted bands: $53k–$74k against $42k–$63k for machinists. These are advertised figures from postings that state a salary, not estimates.
On skills, they are related jobs with a real gap between them. There is a shared core, and then each side asks for things the other rarely does. The readiness numbers further down say how far a typical profile on each side already reaches into the other, and which direction is the easier move.
Automotive Technician
automotive technician jobs · automotive technician salary · automotive technician career guide · careers for automotive technicians
Machinist
The overlap, measured
Switching, both directions
The direction matters: machinist → automotive technician reads 40% ready, the reverse only 24%. Skill overlap is not symmetric.
Automotive Technician → Machinist
Transition estimate: 12–24 mo.
What machinist postings ask for that automotive technician profiles usually lack: Mastercam / CAM, SAP, Lean / Six Sigma.
Machinist → Automotive Technician
Transition estimate: 12–24 mo.
What automotive technician postings ask for that machinist profiles usually lack: Maintenance, Hand & Power Tools, Electrical Systems, Customer Service.
Open automotive technician roles
- AIRCRAFT ENGINE MECHANIC (Title 32) at Air National Guard UnitsTulsa, Oklahoma$64k–$75k1d agoApply
- Mecánico Automotriz at Servicio Automotriz BSHeredia, Heredia1d agoApply
Mecánico con experiencia en maquinaria pesada at Quebradores del SurPérez Zeledón, San José1d agoApply- Mecánico automotriz at Servicentro Las RuedasSanta Ana, San José1d agoApply
Open machinist roles
POLYMECHANIKER Drehen und/oder Fräsen (all genders) at Ländlejobs AgHaag (Rheintal), St. Gallen, Switzerland1d agoApply- Polymechaniker/in mit CNC-Programmierung und Prozessoptimierung at fachkraft.ch GmbHWinterthur, Zürich, Switzerland1d agoApply
- Polymechaniker/in CNC-Drehen at fachkraft.ch GmbHVolketswil, Zürich, Switzerland1d agoApply
Polymechaniker:in mit Erfahrung im CNC-Fräsen oder CNC-Drehen at Feramic AGStallikon, Zürich, Switzerland1d agoApply
See the whole board for both
1,485 open roles across the two.
Related comparisons
- Automotive Technician vs Maintenance Technician70% peak overlap
- Automotive Technician vs Electronics Technician65% peak overlap
- Electronics Technician vs Machinist39% peak overlap
- Automotive Technician vs HVAC Technician33% peak overlap
- Automotive Technician vs Welder29% peak overlap
- Automotive Technician vs Plumberpay compared
Which one do your skills favor?
Run the instrument with your own skills and both numbers recompute for you. Free.
Quick answers
Which pays more, automotive technician or machinist?
On pay, automotive technicians come out ahead by about $11k a year at the midpoint of posted bands: $53k–$74k against $42k–$63k for machinists. These are advertised figures from postings that state a salary, not estimates. By seniority and country: automotive technician salary and machinist salary.
Are automotive technician and machinist the same job?
On skills, they are related jobs with a real gap between them. There is a shared core, and then each side asks for things the other rarely does. The skills both sets of postings want most are Welding / Fabrication, Brewing, Drafting, Blueprint Reading.
Can an automotive technician become a machinist?
Yes, and the numbers say how far along you already are: a typical automotive technician profile covers 24% of what machinist postings ask for. Our estimate for the move is 12–24 mo. The instrument lists the exact skills that make up the rest.
Can a machinist become an automotive technician?
Going the other way, a typical machinist profile covers 40% of what automotive technician postings ask for. Our estimate for the move is 12–24 mo. The two directions are not symmetric: machinist to automotive technician is the easier move, 40% against 24%.
How many automotive technician and machinist jobs are open right now?
Right now our board has 902 automotive technician openings and 583 machinist openings, each linking to the original posting. The board refreshes every night, so the counts move with the market. Hiring the most automotive technicians at the moment: Carvana (40), Air National Guard Units (34), Army National Guard Units (24). For machinists: fachkraft.ch GmbH (110), Stellentreff AG (35), Das Team Ag (33).
Pay is the posted middle half; readiness is how much of the other role’s skill demand a typical profile covers. Refreshed nightly.