Home/Plumbing careers/Idaho

Plumbing careers

How to become a plumber in Idaho

The license steps in Idaho, from apprentice to master or contractor, taken from the official licensing pages – plus pay, apprenticeships and where to apply.

The short answer

Idaho apprentices register with DOPL, journeymen need 8,000 apprentice hours plus 576 classroom hours (or 16,000 hours of plumbing experience) and must pass the IAPMO exam, and contractors must hold a journeyman license and pass a further board exam; there is no continuing education.

The steps in Idaho

  1. 1

    Start as an apprentice

    Plumbing apprentices must register with the state (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) and renew that registration.

  2. 2

    Earn your journeyman (first independent) license

    A journeyman plumber needs 8,000 hours as an apprentice plus 576 hours of board-approved classroom instruction, or 16,000 hours of plumbing experience, and must pass the board-designated exam (given by IAPMO) before applying.

  3. 3

    Master or contractor license

    Idaho has no master license; a plumbing contractor must already hold a journeyman license, pass a board-designated exam and post a compliance bond.

  4. 4

    Keep your license current

    Idaho has no continuing education requirement for plumbers; journeyman and contractor licenses run three years and apprentice registrations five years.

Who licenses plumbers in Idaho

Idaho State Plumbing Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses). License types we found: Plumbing Contractor, Plumbing Journeyman, Plumbing Apprentice, Specialty Contractor, Specialty Journeyman, Specialty Apprentice.

Official application page

Already licensed? Anyone can check a license on edopl.idaho.gov.

Licensed in another state?

Idaho has reciprocity agreements with some states, listed in the board's Reciprocal Information document.

Finding an apprenticeship

Most plumbers learn the trade through a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship, with about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training each year plus classroom instruction, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeships are paid jobs with progressive wage increases, classroom instruction and a portable, nationally recognized credential; programs are approved by the Department of Labor or a State Apprenticeship Agency. Search programs at apprenticeship.gov, or ask local plumbing contractors and union locals.

Pay and job outlook

$63,800

Median yearly pay for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, May 2025 (BLS).

7%

Projected job growth from 2025 to 2035, with about 42,000 openings a year (BLS).

4-5 years

Typical apprenticeship, with about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training a year (BLS).

National figures from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook; pay varies by state and city.

Already a plumber in Idaho?

21 plumbing businesses are listed on Plumbers Pages so far. Add your business free, or see plumbers in Idaho.

Sources

Requirements come from Idaho’s official licensing pages and statutes, checked October 2026. Rules change – confirm with the licensing office before you apply.

  1. files.dfm.idaho.gov/dfm-admin-website/rules/current/24/243920.pdf
  2. dopl.idaho.gov/plb/plb-faqs/
  3. dopl.idaho.gov/plb/
  4. legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title54/T54CH26/
  5. legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title54/T54CH26/SECT54-2610
  6. legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title54/T54CH26/SECT54-2611
  7. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters
  8. U.S. Department of Labor – Apprenticeship.gov for career seekers

General information, not legal advice. All states · How we write our guides

Find a plumberRequest