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Plumbing careers
How to become a plumber in Minnesota
The license steps in Minnesota, from apprentice to master or contractor, taken from the official licensing pages – plus pay, apprenticeships and where to apply.
The short answer
Register with DLI as a registered unlicensed plumber, gain at least four years (1,750 hours per year) of recorded experience or finish a DLI-registered apprenticeship, pass the journeyworker exam, then after one year as a licensed journeyworker pass the master exam; licenses run two years with 16 CE hours.
The steps in Minnesota
- 1
Start as an apprentice
Anyone doing plumbing work in Minnesota without a license must be registered with the Department of Labor and Industry as a registered unlicensed plumber and work under the direct supervision of a licensed master or journeyworker plumber.
- 2
Earn your journeyman (first independent) license
A journeyworker plumber needs at least four years of recorded plumbing experience as a DLI-registered unlicensed plumber (a year counts as at least 1,750 hours) or a completed DLI-registered apprenticeship, and must pass DLI's written exam.
- 3
Master or contractor license
A master plumber needs at least one year of experience as a licensed journeyworker plumber and must pass DLI's written master plumber exam.
- 4
Keep your license current
Minnesota master and journeyworker plumber licenses run on a two-year cycle (expiring Dec. 31 of odd-numbered years) and require 16 hours of approved continuing education per period, at least eight on the State Plumbing Code; registered unlicensed plumbers renew yearly with two hours of code CE.
Who licenses plumbers in Minnesota
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. License types we found: Master plumber, Journeyworker plumber, Restricted master plumber, Restricted journeyworker plumber, Registered unlicensed plumber, Certified pipelayer.
Already licensed? Anyone can check a license on secure.doli.state.mn.us.
Licensed in another state?
Minnesota counts a current plumber's license from another state that requires four years of experience and an exam toward journeyworker eligibility, and an equivalent out-of-state master license toward master eligibility, as determined by DLI.
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 Minnesota?
36 plumbing businesses are listed on Plumbers Pages so far. Add your business free, or see plumbers in Minnesota.
Sources
Requirements come from Minnesota’s official licensing pages and statutes, checked October 2026. Rules change – confirm with the licensing office before you apply.
- dli.mn.gov/workers/plumber/registered-unlicensed-plumbers
- dli.mn.gov/workers/plumber/plumbing-license-experience-requirements
- dli.mn.gov/business/plumbing-contractors/continuing-education-requiremen
- dli.mn.gov/workers/plumbers
- dli.mn.gov/workers/homeowners/choosing-plumber
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters
- U.S. Department of Labor – Apprenticeship.gov for career seekers
General information, not legal advice. All states · How we write our guides