Three RoutesCompare · Ontario figures · updated 2 November 2026
Steamfitter / pipefitter vs Truck and coach technician
Same columns, no opinion about which is better for you. On typical Ontario figures, Steamfitter / pipefitter is ahead by year 10 ($823k against $542k), because it pays more per year once you are working. The gap is before tax, rent and loan interest, which hit both routes.
| Measure | Steamfitter / pipefitter | Truck and coach technician |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Apprenticeship | Apprenticeship |
| Credential | Certificate of Qualification (307A) | Certificate of Qualification (310T) |
| Years to finish | 5 | 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 | $46,000 | $33,000 |
| Earnings by year 5 | $92,000 | $60,000 |
| Net by year 10 (typical) | $823k | $542k |
| Demand in Ontario | Steady | Steady |
| Time in a classroom | 10% | 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.
Steamfitter / pipefitter
A day looks like: Welding, threading and fitting high-pressure pipe for heating, process and nuclear systems, mostly on industrial sites, with eight weeks a year in trade school, paid throughout.
What stops people: Getting into a UA Local 46 or 787 intake, or finding a non-union sponsor. Intakes open only a few times a year and are competitive.
Downside: Five years to the ticket. Industrial, refinery and nuclear sites mean travel, shutdown schedules and long stretches away from home.
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, steamfitter / pipefitter or truck and coach technician?
By year five, Steamfitter / pipefitter is about $92,000 and Truck and coach technician about $60,000 (Ontario medians, before tax). By year ten, counting what each cost, Steamfitter / pipefitter nets roughly $823k and Truck and coach technician roughly $542k.
Which is faster to a real paycheque?
Steamfitter / pipefitter: month one. Truck and coach technician: month one.
What does each cost?
Steamfitter / pipefitter: $1,500 in tuition and fees, typical debt $0. Truck and coach technician: $1,500, typical debt $0.
What is the downside of each?
Steamfitter / pipefitter: Five years to the ticket. Industrial, refinery and nuclear sites mean travel, shutdown schedules and long stretches away from home. 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.
Get your own three
Seven questions, two minutes, no sign-up. The same numbers as this page, ranked for your answers.
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.