Three RoutesCompare · Ontario figures · updated 2 November 2026
Automotive service technician vs Truck and coach technician
Same columns, no opinion about which is better for you. On typical Ontario figures, Truck and coach technician is ahead by year 10 ($542k 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.
| Measure | Automotive service technician | Truck and coach technician |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Apprenticeship | Apprenticeship |
| Credential | Certificate of Qualification (310S) | Certificate of Qualification (310T) |
| Years to finish | 4 | 4 |
| First real paycheque | Month one | Month one |
| Cost (tuition and fees) | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Typical debt if you borrow | $0 | $0 |
| Earnings, first years | $36,500 | $33,000 |
| Earnings by year 5 | $58,500 | $60,000 |
| Net by year 10 (typical) | $538k | $542k |
| Demand in Ontario | Steady | Steady |
| Time in a classroom | 15% | 12% |
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.
Truck and coach technician
A day looks like: Diagnosing and repairing trucks, buses and coaches in a fleet or dealer shop: brakes, air systems, diesel and increasingly electric drivetrains, with eight weeks a year in trade school.
What stops people: Landing a sponsoring shop (fleet, transit agency, dealer) before you can register. A G licence and a Grade 12 math credit help.
Downside: Heavy, dirty and often shift work. You buy your own tools. Diesel and electric drivetrains are both changing fast, so the learning never stops.
Quick answers
Which pays more, automotive service technician or truck and coach technician?
By year five, Automotive service technician is about $58,500 and Truck and coach technician about $60,000 (Ontario medians, before tax). By year ten, counting what each cost, Automotive service technician nets roughly $538k and Truck and coach technician roughly $542k.
Which is faster to a real paycheque?
Automotive service technician: month one. Truck and coach technician: month one.
What does each cost?
Automotive service technician: $1,500 in tuition and fees, typical debt $0. Truck and coach technician: $1,500, 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. Truck and coach technician: Heavy, dirty and often shift work. You buy your own tools. Diesel and electric drivetrains are both changing fast, so the learning never stops.
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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.