How to Become a Plumber

To become a plumber you register as an apprentice, log several thousand hours of supervised work — commonly 4,000 to 8,000 hours over four years — and pass a journeyman exam. Some states add required classroom instruction; Texas asks for 8,000 hours plus 48 hours of classroom training, Maryland for 7,500 hours plus 32.

Plumbing pays better than most people assume. The median is $63,800 a year, higher than electricians, with the top 10% above $108,420. Employment is projected to grow 6.8% through 2035 with roughly 42,000 openings a year.

The complication is that plumbing licensing is the least uniform of the building trades. A handful of states have no statewide license at all and leave it to cities, which sounds simpler and usually is not.

What plumbers actually do

Plumbers install and repair the pipe systems that carry water, gas and waste. As with the other building trades, the label covers several distinct careers.

• Residential service — leaks, blockages, water heaters, fixture replacement, repipes. The most customer-facing work and the usual way in.
• New construction — roughing in and finishing systems on houses and apartment blocks. Crew work, predictable, weather-exposed.
• Commercial — larger buildings, more drawings, more code, more coordination with other trades.
• Service and repair specialisms — backflow prevention testing, medical gas piping, gas fitting. Each is a separate endorsement in most states and each pays a premium.
• Pipefitting and steamfitting — industrial process piping, high-pressure systems and steam. Counted in the same occupational category by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and generally the best paid.

The physical demands are real: confined spaces, trenches, awkward positions, and emergency call-outs at inconvenient hours. The compensation is that plumbing is among the least automatable jobs there is, and demand does not track the economy as closely as new-build trades do — pipes fail in a recession too.

The two routes in

Apprenticeship

The standard route, and in several states the only one the licensing board recognizes. You are employed and paid from the start, typically at a rising percentage of journeyman scale, and attend classroom instruction alongside. Four to five years. Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin all effectively require a formal apprenticeship rather than accepting general work experience.

Trade school first

A certificate or diploma before you start, which makes you a stronger apprenticeship candidate and, in some states, counts toward the classroom hours you would otherwise have to complete during the apprenticeship. Across the 261 plumbing programs with published tuition on Trade Schools Review the median is $5,518, and programs run 9 to 24 months.

Because most states require documented hours under a licensed plumber regardless, school is a head start rather than a shortcut. Its practical value is that plumbing apprenticeships are competitive, and applicants who already have basic skills and a code grounding get picked.

Plumber license requirements by state

Plumbing is the trade where state rules diverge most sharply. Some states license individual journeymen; some license only contractors; three of the largest — New York, Pennsylvania and Missouri — have no statewide license and leave regulation to cities and counties. Here is what we have verified for all 51 states and the District of Columbia, with the median plumber wage in each.

State	Who is licensed	Hours / experience required	Median pay
Alabama	State license	See state board	$58,670
Alaska	State license	8,000 hours on the job	$93,920
Arizona	Contractors only	See state board	$62,070
Arkansas	State license	See state board	$48,660
California	Contractors only	See state board	$72,830
Colorado	State license	6,800 hours on the job	$63,240
Connecticut	State license	8,000 hours on the job; 576 classroom hours	$77,280
Delaware	State license	See state board	$64,720
District of Columbia	State license	8,000 hours on the job	$101,020
Florida	Contractors only	See state board	$52,910
Georgia	State license	See state board	$57,200
Hawaii	State license	See state board	$78,060
Idaho	State license	8,000 hours on the job; 576 classroom hours	$52,380
Illinois	State license	See state board	$99,950
Indiana	State license	See state board	$76,320
Iowa	State license	See state board	$63,890
Kansas	Local (city/county)	See state board	$65,220
Kentucky	State license	See state board	$64,160
Louisiana	State license	8,000 hours on the job	$63,680
Maine	State license	4,000 hours on the job	$64,000
Maryland	State license	7,500 hours on the job; 32 classroom hours	$65,400
Massachusetts	State license	See state board	$93,880
Michigan	State license	6,000 hours on the job	$80,190
Minnesota	State license	5,000 hours on the job	$94,410
Mississippi	Contractors only	See state board	$55,480
Missouri	Local (city/county)	See state board	$66,790
Montana	State license	7,500 hours on the job	$79,960
Nebraska	Local (city/county)	See state board	$60,970
Nevada	Contractors only	See state board	$61,610
New Hampshire	State license	See state board	$66,810
New Jersey	State license	See state board	$78,240
New Mexico	State license	See state board	$61,440
New York	Local (city/county)	See state board	$77,490
North Carolina	Contractors only	4,000 hours on the job	$57,080
North Dakota	State license	See state board	$63,560
Ohio	Contractors only	See state board	$63,330
Oklahoma	State license	See state board	$57,970
Oregon	State license	7,700 hours on the job; 576 classroom hours	$97,050
Pennsylvania	Local (city/county)	See state board	$68,080
Rhode Island	State license	See state board	$76,470
South Carolina	Contractors only	See state board	$53,940
South Dakota	State license	7,600 hours on the job	$51,620
Tennessee	Contractors only	See state board	$58,600
Texas	State license	8,000 hours on the job; 48 classroom hours	$59,840
Utah	State license	See state board	$61,900
Vermont	State license	12,000 hours on the job	$62,170
Virginia	State license	240 classroom hours	$60,470
Washington	State license	8,000 hours on the job	$81,030
West Virginia	State license	See state board	$56,980
Wisconsin	State license	See state board	$81,210
Wyoming	Local (city/county)	See state board	$62,410

The states with no statewide license are not the easy option. New York City requires a Master Plumber license through the Department of Buildings, and the requirements are among the most demanding in the country. What "no state license" really means is that you have to research the specific city you intend to work in.

At the other end, the states with the clearest ladders — Texas, Washington, Colorado, Maryland — publish exact hour and classroom requirements, which makes planning straightforward. Always confirm the current rule with the board itself before enrolling anywhere.

Step by step

1. Finish high school or a GED. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma as the typical entry requirement.
2. Register as an apprentice with your state board. This is a formal step in most states and hours worked before registration often do not count. Do it first, not later.
3. Find an employer or apprenticeship program. Union programs, mechanical contractors and service companies all take apprentices. If placement is slow, a trade school certificate improves your odds materially.
4. Complete the hours and classroom requirement. Commonly 4,000 to 8,000 hours across four years, plus classroom instruction in states such as Texas, Maryland and Virginia.
5. Pass the journeyman exam. Based on the plumbing code your state has adopted.
6. Add endorsements. Backflow prevention, gas fitting and medical gas each open work other plumbers cannot take.
7. Consider the master license. Usually a further one to two years as a journeyman, and it is what lets you pull permits and run a business.

What plumbing training costs

Across the 261 plumbing programs with published tuition on Trade Schools Review, the median is $5,518, with a range from $600 for short courses to $51,756 at the most expensive private career colleges.

Trade	Median tuition	Typical length	Median pay	Growth to 2035
Plumbing	$5,518	9-24 months	$63,800	6.8%
Electrician	$5,888	9-24 months	$63,190	9.2%
HVAC Technician	$5,800	6-24 months	$61,010	10.9%
Carpentry	$5,498	6-24 months	$60,580	3.9%
Welding	$5,084	6-18 months	$53,750	2.4%

Plumbing has the highest median pay of the five and the second-lowest median tuition, which is the strongest cost-to-earnings ratio in the group. Because an apprenticeship pays you throughout, many plumbers reach a journeyman license having spent nothing on tuition at all.

Where plumbing pays best

The spread across states is roughly two to one. The highest medians are the District of Columbia ($101,020), Illinois ($99,950), Oregon ($97,050), Minnesota ($94,410) and Alaska ($93,920). The lowest are Idaho ($52,380), South Dakota ($51,620) and Arkansas ($48,660).

The pattern at the top is union density rather than cost of living alone — Illinois and Minnesota both have long-established negotiated agreements in the mechanical trades, and both sit well above states with comparable living costs.

Volume follows population growth and housing age. The fastest-growing metros generate new-construction work, while older housing stock in the Northeast and Midwest generates repair and repipe work that is steadier and less cyclical.

Plumbing versus the other building trades

People choosing between plumbing, electrical and HVAC usually decide on pay, but the more useful comparison is the shape of the work and the shape of the route in.

• Pay. Plumbing leads on the median at $63,800, narrowly ahead of electricians at $63,190 and HVAC at $61,010. At the 90th percentile the three are close: $108,420 for plumbers, $108,510 for electricians, $95,210 for HVAC technicians.
• Growth. HVAC is projected to grow fastest at 10.9%, then electricians at 9.2%, then plumbers at 6.8%. All three comfortably outpace welding at 2.4%.
• Route in. HVAC is the quickest — a certificate plus EPA 608 makes you employable. Plumbing and electrical both require years of documented hours whichever way you enter.
• Working conditions. Electrical is the cleanest and least physically punishing. Plumbing has the worst conditions and the most emergency work. HVAC sits between, with the seasonal extremes.
• Business ownership. All three support it; plumbing has the lowest equipment cost to start and the most reliable emergency demand.

If you want the shortest path to a paycheck, HVAC. If you want the highest ceiling in industrial work, electrical. If you want steady demand that barely notices a recession and the cheapest route to your own business, plumbing.

What raises your pay

• The journeyman license. As in every licensed trade, this is the largest single step and the one with a defined path.
• Endorsements. Backflow prevention testing and medical gas piping are separate certifications that let you take work most plumbers cannot.
• Pipefitting and steamfitting. Industrial process and high-pressure work sits at the top of the occupational wage range.
• Service over installation. Service plumbers diagnose and sell as well as fit, and are usually paid accordingly.
• The master license. It is the gateway to pulling permits, bidding work and eventually running your own business.

The top 10% of plumbers earn more than $108,420 — around 70% above the median. That gap is built from licensure, specialization and business ownership rather than time served.

Mistakes that cost people time

• Working before registering as an apprentice. The most common and most expensive error: unregistered hours frequently do not count toward licensure.
• Assuming a school program replaces the hours. In almost every state it does not; at best it substitutes for part of the classroom requirement.
• Not checking the city rule in a no-state-license state. In New York, Pennsylvania and Missouri the requirement that matters is local, and it can be stricter than a state license would be.
• Moving states without checking reciprocity. Hour requirements differ and recognition is patchy.
• Skipping the endorsements. Backflow and gas certifications are short, cheap, and pay for themselves quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to become a plumber?

About four to five years to reach journeyman level. Most states require between 4,000 and 8,000 hours of documented work under a licensed plumber — Texas and Washington both require 8,000 hours, Maryland 7,500, Colorado 6,800, Michigan 6,000. A trade school certificate takes 9 to 24 months and shortens the path into an apprenticeship rather than replacing the hours.

How much do plumbers make?

The national median is $63,800 a year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 — slightly higher than electricians. The lowest 10% earn under $44,150 and the top 10% earn more than $108,420. By state the median ranges from $101,020 in the District of Columbia to $48,660 in Arkansas.

Do you need a license to be a plumber?

In most states, yes. Texas, Washington, Colorado, Maryland, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Virginia and others license individual plumbers. Arizona, California, Florida and Ohio license contractors rather than journeymen. New York, Pennsylvania and Missouri have no statewide license and leave it to cities — where the requirements are often stricter.

How much does plumbing school cost?

The median is $5,518 across the 261 plumbing programs with published tuition on Trade Schools Review, ranging from $600 for short courses to $51,756 at the most expensive private career colleges. Many plumbers pay nothing at all, because an apprenticeship pays wages throughout the four to five years of training.

Is plumbing a good career?

On the numbers it is one of the best trades available. Pay is above electricians at a $63,800 median, entry requires no college degree, projected growth is 6.8% through 2035 with 42,000 openings a year, and the work resists both automation and offshoring. The trade-offs are the physical demands and the emergency call-outs.

Can you become a plumber without an apprenticeship?

It depends on the state. Several — including Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin — effectively require a formal registered apprenticeship. Others accept documented work experience under a licensed plumber without a formal program. A trade school certificate on its own does not qualify you for a license anywhere; the supervised hours are the requirement.