Three RoutesCompare · Ontario figures · updated 2 November 2026
Automotive service technician vs Electrician
Same columns, no opinion about which is better for you. On typical Ontario figures, Electrician is ahead by year 10 ($602k against $538k), because it pays more per year once you are working. The gap is before tax, rent and loan interest, which hit both routes. Automotive service technician costs $500 less to get into.
| Measure | Automotive service technician | Electrician |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Apprenticeship | Apprenticeship |
| Credential | Certificate of Qualification (310S) | Certificate of Qualification (309A) |
| Years to finish | 4 | 5 |
| First real paycheque | Month one | Month one |
| Cost (tuition and fees) | $1,500 | $2,000 |
| Typical debt if you borrow | $0 | $0 |
| Earnings, first years | $36,500 | $39,000 |
| Earnings by year 5 | $58,500 | $66,000 |
| Net by year 10 (typical) | $538k | $602k |
| Demand in Ontario | Steady | Steady |
| Time in a classroom | 15% | 15% |
Earnings by year, roughly
Before tax. Years in school show as "school". Medians rise from the starting figure to the year-5 figure, then stay flat.
Automotive service technician
A day looks like: Diagnosing and repairing vehicles; increasingly electronics and EV systems rather than wrenching.
What stops people: Dealerships prefer applicants who already have a shop class or co-op.
Downside: Many shops pay by the job, not the hour, so slow weeks hurt. You buy your own tools, often $10–20k over a career.
Electrician
A day looks like: You spend roughly four days a week on site with a journeyperson and eight weeks a year in trade school, paid throughout. Work ranges from wiring new houses to industrial panels.
What stops people: Finding an employer to sponsor you. The schooling is the easy part.
Downside: Two to six months of job-hunting before you start is normal. Construction work is cyclical and the first year is a lot of carrying things.
Quick answers
Which pays more, automotive service technician or electrician?
By year five, Automotive service technician is about $58,500 and Electrician about $66,000 (Ontario medians, before tax). By year ten, counting what each cost, Automotive service technician nets roughly $538k and Electrician roughly $602k.
Which is faster to a real paycheque?
Automotive service technician: month one. Electrician: month one.
What does each cost?
Automotive service technician: $1,500 in tuition and fees, typical debt $0. Electrician: $2,000, typical debt $0.
What is the downside of each?
Automotive service technician: Many shops pay by the job, not the hour, so slow weeks hurt. You buy your own tools, often $10–20k over a career. Electrician: Two to six months of job-hunting before you start is normal. Construction work is cyclical and the first year is a lot of carrying things.
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Figures are Ontario medians and typical costs from Job Bank, Statistics Canada, Skilled Trades Ontario and institution fee pages; the data page lists every source and date. Switch province on either pathway page for BC, Alberta or Quebec figures.