How to Become a Plumber: Certification, Licensing & Pay
Plumbers install and repair the pipes that carry water, gas, steam, and waste through homes, businesses, and factories — a trade the Bureau of Labor Statistics groups with pipefitters and steamfitters, who do similar work on process and heating piping in industrial and commercial settings. Like electricians, plumbers typically train through a paid apprenticeship rather than a college degree.
Apprenticeship Path
Most plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters learn the trade through a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship sponsored by a union, trade association, or employer. Apprentices earn roughly 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training per year plus technical instruction in local plumbing codes, blueprint reading, and applied math and physics. Some apprentices enter directly; others start as a helper or complete a pre-apprenticeship program first.
Certification & Licensing
Plumbers complete their apprenticeship and pass a licensing exam to become a journey-level worker who can perform plumbing work independently. Licensing is where this trade varies the most by location: most states license plumbers, a handful don’t require a state license at all, and city or county licenses can apply on top of (or instead of) a state one.
Requirements vary by state and locality — verify current licensing rules with your state's plumbing licensing board before you rely on them.
Plumber Pay
The median plumber in the US earned $62,970 per year as of May 2024 — the middle 80% earned between $40,670 and $105,150.
Pay varies a lot by location. See the highest-paying states and highest-paying cities for plumbers, both ranked from BLS OEWS data.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152), May 2024.
Job Outlook
The BLS projects employment of plumbers to grow 4% from 2024–34, about as fast as the average for all occupations, with about 44,000 openings projected each year on average (most from workers transferring to other occupations or retiring, not net-new growth alone).
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, 2024–34 projections.