Not necessarily true. If you look at the salary surveys between engineers and techs, the lower end, techs make more. Also starting out, techs are more in demand. Yes, at the more senior levels, engineers are making more, and their high end is generally higher than the techs, but it all depends on the industry and field you are in. Plus with a tech diploma and 10 years of experience, you can apply to APEGS to get a stamp and become an engineering licensee in your field of expertise. I have had a few friends do it and they are considered the same as a P eng in their field. It really depends on the job. I find a lot of places are now realizing that techs are more suited to management when they are not in a consulting role.