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How to become a plumber in Kansas

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

The short answer

Kansas plumbers are licensed locally, not by the state; in Wichita and Sedgwick County (MABCD) a journeyman certificate takes two years of field experience (or one year plus one year of trade school) and a 75% score on an approved ICC or IAPMO exam, and a master certificate takes two years as a journeyman (or four years of field experience) plus the master exam.

Note: Kansas does not issue a statewide plumber license; cities or counties do. The steps below describe the largest local program we could confirm – check the rules where you will work.

The steps in Kansas

  1. 1

    Start as an apprentice

    The official pages we checked do not set out a separate apprentice registration in Kansas. Most plumbers still start in an apprenticeship – see below. Ask the licensing office for the current rule.

  2. 2

    Earn your journeyman (first independent) license

    In Wichita and Sedgwick County, a journeyman plumber certificate requires two years of field experience (or one year of field experience plus one year of plumbing trade school) and a score of at least 75% on an approved ICC or IAPMO journeyman plumber exam.

  3. 3

    Master or contractor license

    In Wichita and Sedgwick County, a master plumber certificate requires a journeyman certificate and two years as a journeyman (or four years of field experience), plus at least 75% on an approved ICC or IAPMO master plumber exam.

  4. 4

    Keep your license current

    Wichita/Sedgwick County trade certificates are good for two years, and renewal requires 12 hours of continuing education: six in plumbing and six in general trade education.

Who licenses plumbers in Kansas

the local licensing office. License types we found: see the agency.

Official application page

Licensed in another state?

MABCD does not accept state testing; only its listed approved exams count for Sedgwick County certificates.

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 Kansas?

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

Sources

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

  1. sedgwick.gov/mabcd/master-journeyman-trade-certificates/
  2. ksbiz.kansas.gov/business-starter-kit/construction/
  3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters
  4. U.S. Department of Labor – Apprenticeship.gov for career seekers

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

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