Home/Blog/How long does it take to become a plumber? It depends on your state
Plumbing careers · October 17, 2026
How long does it take to become a plumber? It depends on your state
Most plumbers train for 4 to 5 years before their first license, but the rules run from 1 year in some states to 5 years or more in others. Here is every state side by side.
The short answer
Most plumbers spend 4 to 5 years in a paid apprenticeship before they can take the exam for their first license, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the official minimum depends on the state: from 1 year in Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee to 5 years or more in states such as Hawaii and Montana.
The usual timeline
- 1
Apprentice: 4 to 5 years
Apprentices learn on the job under licensed plumbers, with about 2,000 hours of paid training a year plus classroom instruction (BLS). The Department of Labor describes Registered Apprenticeships as paid jobs with wage increases as your skills grow.
- 2
Journeyman exam
Once you have the hours your state requires, you take its exam. Pass it and you can work on your own, usually for a licensed plumbing business.
- 3
Master or contractor: more years
Supervising others, pulling permits or running your own business usually takes more experience and another exam. The rules are on each state page.
Why 8,000 hours comes up so often
At about 2,000 hours a year, 8,000 hours is four years of full-time work. 11 of the 51 jurisdictions we checked ask for exactly that much experience, or 4 years stated as 8,000 hours, before the journeyman exam – including Texas, Washington, Utah and Idaho.
What makes it shorter or longer
- Your state. Georgia asks for one year of experience before its journeyman exam. Florida and Vermont accept 12,000 hours of on-the-job training in place of a completed apprenticeship – about six years of full-time work.
- Classroom hours. Several states add school time on top of work hours: 576 hours in Connecticut, Idaho and Utah, 600 in New Hampshire, 300 in Massachusetts.
- An approved program. Some states give credit for formal training. Louisiana asks for 7,000 hours instead of 8,000 in an approved apprenticeship, and Oklahoma lets an approved 1,000-hour classroom program stand in for two of its three years.
- Local licensing. In a few states, such as New York, Missouri and Nebraska, cities or counties license plumbers, so the clock depends on where you work.
Time to your first license, state by state
Experience required before the first license exam, from each state’s official licensing pages (checked October 2026). Click a state for the full steps and sources.
| State | First license | Experience before the exam |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Journeyman | 2 years as an apprentice |
| Alaska | Journeyman | 8,000 hours |
| Arizona | No journeyman license | Contractor qualifier: 4 years in the trade |
| Arkansas | Journeyman | 4 years |
| California | No statewide journeyman license | C-36 contractor: 4 years at journey level |
| Colorado | Journeyworker | Up to 4 years (6,800 hours) |
| Connecticut | Journeyperson (P-2) | 8,000 hours plus 576 classroom hours |
| Delaware | Master only | Apprenticeship plus 2 more years |
| Florida | Journeyman (county or city) | Apprenticeship or 12,000 hours |
| Georgia | Journeyman | 1 year |
| Hawaii | Journey worker | 5 years (10,000 hours) |
| Idaho | Journeyman | 8,000 hours plus 576 classroom hours |
| Illinois | Plumber | 4 years as a licensed apprentice |
| Indiana | Journeyman | Apprenticeship or 4 years |
| Iowa | Journeyperson | 4 years |
| Kansas | Journeyman (Wichita area) | 2 years |
| Kentucky | Journeyman | 2 years as an apprentice |
| Louisiana | Journeyman | 8,000 hours (7,000 in an approved apprenticeship) |
| Maine | Journeyman | 2 years (4,000 hours) |
| Maryland | Journey | 4 years (7,500 hours) |
| Massachusetts | Journeyman | 3 years plus 300 theory hours |
| Michigan | Journey | 3 years (6,000 hours) |
| Minnesota | Journeyworker | 4 years |
| Mississippi | No statewide plumber license | Contractor license by exam |
| Missouri | No statewide plumber license | Set by each city or county |
| Montana | Journeyman | 5 years |
| Nebraska | Set by each city | Varies by city |
| Nevada | Set by some cities | Varies by city |
| New Hampshire | Journeyman | 8,000 hours plus 600 training hours |
| New Jersey | No separate journeyman license | 4-year apprenticeship |
| New Mexico | Journeyman | 2 years |
| New York | No statewide plumber license | Set locally (NYC master: 7 years) |
| North Carolina | Plumbing Technician | 15 to 18 months |
| North Dakota | Journeyman | 4 years (7,600 hours) |
| Ohio | No journeyman license | Contractor: 5 years in the trade |
| Oklahoma | Journeyman | 3 years |
| Oregon | Journeyman | 4-year apprenticeship |
| Pennsylvania | Journeyman (Philadelphia) | 4 years as an apprentice |
| Rhode Island | Journeyperson | 4 years (8,000 hours) |
| South Carolina | Residential Plumber | 1 year |
| South Dakota | Journeyman | 4 years |
| Tennessee | Limited Licensed Plumber | 1 year |
| Texas | Journeyman | 8,000 hours |
| Utah | Journeyman | 8,000 hours plus 576 classroom hours |
| Vermont | Journeyman | Apprenticeship or 12,000 hours |
| Virginia | Journeyman | 4 to 8 years, depending on training |
| Washington | Journey Level | 4 years (8,000 hours) |
| Washington, DC | Journeyman | 4 years (8,000 hours) |
| West Virginia | Journeyman | Experience certified (hours not stated) |
| Wisconsin | Journeyman | Completed apprenticeship |
| Wyoming | Journeyman (Cheyenne) | 4 years (8,000 hours) |
Rules change. Confirm with the licensing office before you apply.
Earning while you learn
An apprenticeship is a job, not just school. The BLS puts median pay for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters at $63,800 a year (May 2025) and projects 7 percent job growth from 2025 to 2035. You can search registered programs at apprenticeship.gov, or ask local plumbing businesses – many of those listed in this directory train apprentices.
Start with the full guide: how to become a plumber.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters
- U.S. Department of Labor – Apprenticeship.gov for career seekers
- U.S. Department of Labor – Apprenticeship 101 (PDF)
Published October 17, 2026 by the Plumbers Pages editorial team. General information, not professional advice. More from the blog · Editorial policy