A switching apparatus for a starter, the apparatus comprising: pinion-pushing means (6; 57) for pushing a pinion of the starter toward a ring gear of an engine; main-contact-switching means (6; 58) for opening and closing a main contact (41, 42, 43) for a motor circuit for supplying electrical power from a battery to a motor; a resistor for suppressing a startup current that flows from the battery to the motor when the motor is started, the resistor being electrically connected to the motor circuit; and energizing-path-switching means for switching between a higher-resistance energizing path and a lower-resistance energizing path, the higher-resistance energizing path electrically connecting the battery and the motor through the resistor, and the lower-resistance energizing path electrically connecting the battery and the motor and bypassing the resistor, the pinion-pushing means (6; 57), the main-contact-switching means (6; 58), the resistor, and the energizing-path-switching means sharing a single housing (8, 9), and being integrally accommodated inside the housing (8, 9), the apparatus is characterized in that the resistor being electrically connected to the motor circuit in series with the main contact (41, 42, 43), the energizing-path-switching means comprises a relay contact (23, 24, 25) electrically connected to the motor circuit in series with the main contact (41, 42, 43) and in parallel with the resistor, a relay coil that forms an electromagnet when excited, and a movable core that is movable in an axial direction of the relay coil through excitation of the relay coil, and takes a form of an electromagnetic relay that opens and closes the relay contact (23, 24, 25) in conjunction with movement of the movable core, the electromagnetic relay is configured such that the relay contact (23, 24, 25) is open during an excited state of the relay coil so that the motor is energized via the higher-resistance energizing path, and the relay contact (23, 24, 25) is closed during a non-excited state of the relay coil so that the motor is energized via the lower-resistance energizing path. pinion-pushing means (6; 57) for pushing a pinion of the starter toward a ring gear of an engine; main-contact-switching means (6; 58) for opening and closing a main contact (41, 42, 43) for a motor circuit for supplying electrical power from a battery to a motor; a resistor for suppressing a startup current that flows from the battery to the motor when the motor is started, the resistor being electrically connected to the motor circuit; and energizing-path-switching means for switching between a higher-resistance energizing path and a lower-resistance energizing path, the higher-resistance energizing path electrically connecting the battery and the motor through the resistor, and the lower-resistance energizing path electrically connecting the battery and the motor and bypassing the resistor, the pinion-pushing means (6; 57), the main-contact-switching means (6; 58), the resistor, and the energizing-path-switching means sharing a single housing (8, 9), and being integrally accommodated inside the housing (8, 9), the apparatus is characterized in that the resistor being electrically connected to the motor circuit in series with the main contact (41, 42, 43), the energizing-path-switching means comprises a relay contact (23, 24, 25) electrically connected to the motor circuit in series with the main contact (41, 42, 43) and in parallel with the resistor, a relay coil that forms an electromagnet when excited, and a movable core that is movable in an axial direction of the relay coil through excitation of the relay coil, and takes a form of an electromagnetic relay that opens and closes the relay contact (23, 24, 25) in conjunction with movement of the movable core, the electromagnetic relay is configured such that the relay contact (23, 24, 25) is open during an excited state of the relay coil so that the motor is energized via the higher-resistance energizing path, and the relay contact (23, 24, 25) is closed during a non-excited state of the relay coil so that the motor is energized via the lower-resistance energizing path.