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Plumber apprenticeships: what they pay, state by state
U.S. Department of Labor records list 45,568 registered apprentices active across the 50 states and the District of Columbia in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (SOC 47-2152). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023) the median starting wage of registered apprentices ran from $15.00 an hour in Arkansas and South Carolina to $24.00 in California, across the 42 states where 50 or more apprentices carry a starting wage DOL counts.
Apprentice counts and wages by state
The most are in California (4,495), Indiana (3,525), Texas (3,448), Illinois (2,547), Arkansas (2,186). Among the apprentices who completed in fiscal 2023, the median wage at completion ran from $17.00 an hour in South Carolina to $54.55 in Illinois, across the 30 states with 50 or more exit wages DOL counts. A median is shown only where 50 or more apprentices carry the wage; the counts are shown for every state with an active apprentice in fiscal 2024.
| State | Active, fiscal 2024 | Started, fiscal 2023 | Median starting wage | Median completing wage | BLS median, May 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 4,495 | 1,523 | $24.00 | $51.88 | $35.01 |
| Indiana | 3,525 | 1,449 | $20.00 | $36.81 | $36.69 |
| Texas | 3,448 | 1,373 | $18.78 | $29.80 | $28.77 |
| Illinois | 2,547 | 850 | $21.20 | $54.55 | $48.05 |
| Arkansas | 2,186 | 711 | $15.00 | $22.00 | $23.39 |
| Ohio | 2,146 | 768 | $18.79 | $38.02 | $30.45 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,966 | 462 | $20.68 | $41.50 | $32.73 |
| Michigan | 1,857 | 612 | $19.91 | $39.01 | $38.56 |
| Florida | 1,832 | 770 | $17.91 | $26.00 | $25.44 |
| Iowa | 1,500 | 700 | $19.61 | $30.00 | $30.72 |
| Missouri | 1,383 | 399 | $21.27 | $40.25 | $32.11 |
| Colorado | 1,196 | 591 | $20.70 | $42.03 | $30.40 |
| New Jersey | 1,179 | 515 | $19.00 | $36.50 | $37.61 |
| Arizona | 1,175 | 496 | $20.57 | $43.90 | $29.84 |
| Virginia | 1,128 | 375 | $16.90 | $26.00 | $29.07 |
| Maryland | 1,102 | 281 | $21.59 | $50.27 | $31.44 |
| Tennessee | 1,049 | 388 | $17.10 | $32.74 | $28.17 |
| Minnesota | 1,039 | 277 | $22.49 | $40.67 | $45.39 |
| Louisiana | 925 | 404 | $15.75 | $23.00 | $30.62 |
| Georgia | 771 | 313 | $16.45 | $35.08 | $27.50 |
| Montana | 759 | 328 | $20.03 | $32.00 | $38.44 |
| Kentucky | 730 | 289 | $21.10 | $36.81 | $30.84 |
| New Hampshire | 689 | 328 | $20.00 | $27.98 | $32.12 |
| Utah | 664 | 313 | $22.25 | $34.38 | $29.76 |
| Nevada | 505 | 173 | $23.29 | $49.54 | $29.62 |
| Hawaii | 491 | 75 | $21.52 | fewer than 50 wages | $37.53 |
| Alabama | 431 | 161 | $18.60 | $30.32 | $28.21 |
| Oklahoma | 427 | 156 | $17.75 | fewer than 50 wages | $27.87 |
| Idaho | 371 | 172 | $19.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $25.18 |
| Kansas | 371 | 143 | $21.25 | $41.36 | $31.36 |
| Vermont | 359 | 155 | $16.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $29.89 |
| Nebraska | 332 | 122 | $20.58 | $42.00 | $29.31 |
| Alaska | 331 | 117 | $20.50 | fewer than 50 wages | $45.15 |
| Delaware | 282 | 114 | $18.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $31.11 |
| West Virginia | 248 | 46 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $27.39 |
| Mississippi | 233 | 120 | $16.90 | fewer than 50 wages | $26.67 |
| South Dakota | 231 | 136 | $18.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $24.82 |
| Wisconsin | 229 | 89 | $22.91 | fewer than 50 wages | $39.04 |
| Washington | 208 | 103 | $19.40 | $34.34 | $38.96 |
| Rhode Island | 190 | 88 | $19.56 | fewer than 50 wages | $36.77 |
| New York | 159 | 51 | $21.28 | fewer than 50 wages | $37.26 |
| Massachusetts | 154 | 48 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $45.14 |
| Maine | 133 | 66 | $20.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $30.77 |
| North Dakota | 110 | 43 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $30.56 |
| South Carolina | 109 | 70 | $15.00 | $17.00 | $25.93 |
| Wyoming | 88 | 35 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $30.01 |
| Oregon | 83 | 24 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $46.66 |
| North Carolina | 57 | 31 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $27.44 |
| Connecticut | 56 | 24 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $37.16 |
| New Mexico | 50 | 29 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.54 |
| District of Columbia | 39 | 13 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $48.57 |
Hourly wages, most active apprentices first. The starting wage is the median across the apprentices who started in fiscal 2023 and the completing wage the median across those who completed it: two groups of people. The BLS figure is the wage survey's median for the occupation in the state, a different source and a different period, so read the two side by side and not as a ratio. Which wages DOL counts and how the state is assigned are on the data page. As a file: every trade and state with an active apprentice (CSV).
What those wages come to a week and a year, at your hours →
How the apprenticeship runs
Unions, trade associations and businesses sponsor the programs; most apprentices enter one directly, and some start as helpers or complete a pre-apprenticeship training program. The federal Apprenticeship Finder searches apprenticeship openings by occupation and by city, state or ZIP code. Apprenticeship Finder →
BLS wording
“Apprenticeship programs are sponsored by unions, trade associations, and businesses. Most apprentices enter a program directly, but some start out as helpers or complete a pre-apprenticeship training programs in plumbing and other trades.”
How long. Most learn the trade in a four- or five-year apprenticeship; states and localities often require two to five years of experience and an exam to work independently.
BLS wording
“Most plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters learn their trade through a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship. ... Although licensing requirements vary, states and localities often require workers to have 2 to 5 years of experience and to pass an exam that shows their knowledge of the trade before allowing plumbers to work independently.”
From the Occupational Outlook Handbook: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, read 2026-09-23. The steps in order and pay by state are on How to become a plumber.
Common questions
How much do apprentice plumbers make?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023) the median starting wage of registered apprentices ran from $15.00 an hour in Arkansas and South Carolina to $24.00 in California, across the 42 states where 50 or more apprentices carry a starting wage DOL counts. Among the apprentices who completed in fiscal 2023, the median wage at completion ran from $17.00 an hour in South Carolina to $54.55 in Illinois, across the 30 states with 50 or more exit wages DOL counts. The starters and the completers are different people, and the wages are in that year's dollars.
How long does it take to train as a plumber?
Most learn the trade in a four- or five-year apprenticeship; states and localities often require two to five years of experience and an exam to work independently.
How many apprentice plumbers are there?
U.S. Department of Labor records list 45,568 registered apprentices active across the 50 states and the District of Columbia in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (SOC 47-2152). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. The most are in California (4,495), Indiana (3,525), Texas (3,448), Illinois (2,547), Arkansas (2,186).
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration: Apprenticeship Participant Characteristics and Training Outcomes (the dataset), retrieved 2026-09-24: every apprentice count and apprentice wage. Titles counted for this trade: GAS-MAIN FITTER; PIPE FITTER (Construction); PIPE FITTER (Ship & Boat); PLUMBER; SPRINKLER FITTER (Existing Title: Pipe Fitter); STEAM SERVICE INSPECTOR; Water Distribution Operator.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, retrieved 2026-10-03: the median for the occupation, $63,800 a year nationally. How the numbers are built.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, read 2026-09-23: how the apprenticeship runs and how long the training takes.
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