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How to become a plumber in Alabama
Alabama's Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board certifies plumbers under the structure Alabama law requires: a registered apprentice works directly under the supervision of a journeyman or master, a journeyman plumber is certified after two years as an apprentice and an exam, and a master plumber after a year as a certified journeyman and an exam; every certificate is annual. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Alabama earned a median $58,670 a year in May 2025 ($28.21 an hour).
Plumber licensing in Alabama
The licensing authority is Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board. The pages each row was read from are listed under the table, with the date each was read.
| License | What it takes | Experience | Exam | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice Plumber/Gas Fitter (registration) | Register with the Board ($35) for the current year. An apprentice works directly under the supervision of a journeyman or master plumber or gas fitter and carries the current annual certificate. | — | — | $35 |
| Journeyman Plumber | Two years of current work experience as a registered apprentice, or a board-approved apprentice training program combined with registered apprentice time equal to two years (two years' experience gained other ways needs a Board appearance request). Then the journeyman plumber exam ($110); within 90 days of passing, the $50 initial application processing fee and the $75 initial journeyman certificate fee. The certificate is an annual certificate. | — | Alabama journeyman plumber exam | $235 |
| Master Plumber | At least one year as a certified journeyman plumber (one year of current work experience), then the master plumber exam and an additional business law exam (required since January 1, 2026). The master plumber exam costs $160 and the business law exam $100; within 90 days of passing, the $50 initial application processing fee and the $175 initial master certificate fee. | — | Alabama master plumber exam and business law exam | $485 |
Reciprocity. A journeyman or master licensed in another state may take the Alabama exam if that license was earned with an exam score of at least 70% and is active and in good standing, and the issuing agency completes the Board's verification form or gives the same information on its own form or letterhead.
Renewal. Every year: each certificate is an annual certificate.
Licensing sources: Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board: how do I become licensed? (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board: exams (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board: apprentice registration form (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board: journeyman examination application (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board: initial application for journeyman certificate (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board: master examination application (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board: master certification packet (retrieved 2026-09-24). Requirements change; confirm with Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board before you act.
The steps in order, with exams, fees and renewal → · Every fee here, itemised and totalled → · Compare time and cost across trades and states →
Common questions
Do you need a license to work as a plumber in Alabama?
Alabama's Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board certifies plumbers under the structure Alabama law requires: a registered apprentice works directly under the supervision of a journeyman or master, a journeyman plumber is certified after two years as an apprentice and an exam, and a master plumber after a year as a certified journeyman and an exam; every certificate is annual.
What does it cost to get licensed as a plumber in Alabama?
The published fees in the table above run from $35 to $485 depending on the tier. Read each tier's requirements for any exam or license-issue fee charged on top.
How long does it take to become a plumber in Alabama?
It depends on which credential you need and the training and testing each step takes; the full path is in the table above.
How much do plumbers make in Alabama?
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Alabama earned a median $58,670 a year in May 2025, $28.21 an hour. That median is 8% below the national figure of $63,800, and Alabama ranks 40 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice plumbers make in Alabama?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Alabama under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, 161 apprentices started, at a median $18.60 an hour across the 159 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $30.32 an hour at completion (66 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What plumbers earn in Alabama
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Alabama earned a median $58,670 a year in May 2025, $28.21 an hour. 6,950 people held the job, 3.3 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 8% below the national figure of $63,800, and Alabama ranks 40 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Alabama
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.14 | $37,720 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.63 | $47,070 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $28.21 | $58,670 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $31.12 | $64,730 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $36.87 | $76,690 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $27.77 | $57,750 | The average. Pulled up by the top earners. |
Annual figures are the hourly rate times 2,080 hours, BLS's full-time year. Overtime is inside the survey's earnings but not separated out.
Pay by metro area in Alabama
Birmingham, AL employs the most plumbers of the 12 metro areas based in Alabama that BLS publishes, 1,840, at a median $60,090 a year. The best-paid is Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL at $60,590.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | 1,840 | $60,090 | $38,620 | $76,290 |
| Mobile, AL | 960 | $59,410 | $38,170 | $74,940 |
| Huntsville, AL | 790 | $57,020 | $37,870 | $82,620 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | 370 | $59,530 | $38,410 | $74,150 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | 340 | $60,590 | $36,730 | $83,120 |
| Montgomery, AL | 340 | $57,960 | $37,280 | $74,100 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | 330 | $57,080 | $36,230 | $76,060 |
| Decatur, AL | 210 | $59,920 | $40,580 | $110,660 |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | 200 | $51,570 | $36,460 | $71,480 |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | 130 | $56,850 | $37,570 | $74,460 |
| Dothan, AL | 130 | $49,070 | $35,980 | $67,070 |
| Gadsden, AL | 100 | $47,350 | $28,050 | $66,280 |
Metropolitan statistical areas as BLS publishes them in the same May 2025 estimates. A metro that crosses a state line is listed only under its primary state, so part of a neighboring state's metro can sit outside this table. Areas outside any metro are not shown. Listed under another state but reaching into Alabama: Columbus, GA-AL.
Alabama against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | Nebraska | $60,970 | 4,110 |
| 38 | Virginia | $60,470 | 13,780 |
| 39 | Texas | $59,840 | 44,090 |
| 40 | Alabama | $58,670 | 6,950 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $58,600 | 9,270 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $57,970 | 6,050 |
| 43 | Georgia | $57,200 | 8,930 |
The complete ranking is on the Plumbers and pipefitters page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $58,670 | $63,800 |
| Median hourly | $28.21 | $30.67 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $37,720 | $44,150 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $76,690 | $108,420 |
| Employed | 6,950 | 465,840 |
Apprenticeships in Alabama
U.S. Department of Labor records list 431 registered apprentices active in Alabama 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, the latest year the file holds in full, 161 apprentices started, at a median $18.60 an hour across the 159 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $30.32 an hour at completion (66 completers with an exit wage DOL counts).
Find a registered program: DOL's Apprenticeship Finder → · What those wages come to at your hours a week → · Every state's count and wages for this trade →
Wages are DOL's own hourly figures in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Which wages DOL counts, which titles count and how the state is assigned are on the data page.
Other trades in Alabama
Electricians ($55,690) · HVAC technicians ($48,370) · Welders ($48,490) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($52,120) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($92,030) · Elevator installers ($103,700) · Ironworkers ($56,640) · Sheet metal workers ($47,530) · Carpenters ($48,220) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($49,710) · Auto service technicians ($45,640) · Diesel mechanics ($50,470) · Heavy equipment operators ($47,520) · Machinists ($55,560)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Alabama.
The pay and employment figures on this page are the May 2025 BLS estimates, apart from the apprenticeship figures, which are DOL's; the licensing detail is read from the pages listed in the licensing section, each with the date it was read. See how the numbers are built.