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Plumbing careers
How to become a plumber in Oregon
The license steps in Oregon, from apprentice to master or contractor, taken from the official licensing pages – plus pay, apprenticeships and where to apply.
The short answer
In Oregon you complete a registered 4-year plumbing apprenticeship (about 7,700 to 8,000 hours, registered through BOLI) or document equivalent commercial and residential experience, pass the state journeyman plumber exam, and can later qualify for a supervising plumber license; licenses renew every three years with 24 CE hours.
The steps in Oregon
- 1
Start as an apprentice
Plumber apprenticeships are registered through the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries and run about 7,700 to 8,000 hours, roughly four years.
- 2
Earn your journeyman (first independent) license
A journeyman plumber license requires a certificate from a registered 4-year apprenticeship (or documented commercial and residential on-the-job hours) and passing a 4-hour, 64-question open-book exam.
- 3
Master or contractor license
Oregon's next level is the supervising plumber license, issued to journeyman plumbers who show competency in supervising plumbing work and in plumbing laws and rules.
- 4
Keep your license current
Journeyman plumber licenses renew every three years on April 1, with 24 hours of continuing education required.
Who licenses plumbers in Oregon
Oregon Building Codes Division (Department of Consumer and Business Services). License types we found: Journeyman Plumber, Supervising Plumber, Limited Specialty Plumber, Solar Heating and Cooling System Installer, Plumbing Contractor.
Already licensed? Anyone can check a license on oregon.gov.
Licensed in another state?
Oregon has reciprocal journeyman plumber license agreements with Idaho and Montana; applicants use the Reciprocal Plumbing License Application.
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 Oregon?
51 plumbing businesses are listed on Plumbers Pages so far. Add your business free, or see plumbers in Oregon.
Sources
Requirements come from Oregon’s official licensing pages and statutes, checked October 2026. Rules change – confirm with the licensing office before you apply.
- apps.oregon.gov/SOS/LicenseDirectory/LicenseDetail/335
- apps.oregon.gov/SOS/LicenseDirectory/LicenseDetail/675
- oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors693.html
- oregon.gov/bcd/licensing/Pages/reciprocal.aspx
- oregon.gov/bcd/licensing/Pages/index.aspx
- oregon.gov/bcd/licensing/Pages/contractor-licenses.aspx
- oregon.gov/ccb/Pages/CCB%20License.aspx
- oregon.gov/ccb/pages/index.aspx
- 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