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How to become a plumber in Georgia
Georgia licenses plumbers statewide in three tiers: Journeyman, Class I Master (restricted) and Class II Master (unrestricted). Each requires documented experience and a PSI exam. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Georgia earned a median $57,200 a year in May 2025 ($27.50 an hour).
Plumber licensing in Georgia
The licensing authority is Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman Plumber | At least three years' qualifying plumbing experience, three notarized references, a background check, and a passing PSI exam. Application fee $30 plus a $10 processing fee. | — | Georgia Journeyman Plumber exam (PSI) | $40 |
| Class I Master Plumber (restricted) | Single-family dwellings, one-level two-family dwellings and commercial structures up to 10,000 square feet. Five years' experience (at least two as a licensed journeyman), a passing PSI Master exam (minimum score 70), and three references from licensed plumbers, at least one of them a master plumber. Application fee $30 plus a $10 processing fee. | — | Georgia Master Plumber exam (PSI) | $40 |
| Class II Master Plumber (unrestricted) | No scope restriction. Five years' experience (at least two as a licensed journeyman) including commercial or industrial plumbing, a passing PSI Master exam (minimum score 70), and three references from licensed plumbers, at least two of them master plumbers. Application fee $30 plus a $10 processing fee. | — | Georgia Master Plumber exam (PSI) | $40 |
Reciprocity. Georgia has no plumber reciprocity with other states.
Renewal. Biennial (renew by November 30 of even-numbered years), with 8 hours of continuing education.
Licensing sources: Georgia Master & Journeyman Plumbers FAQ (retrieved 2026-09-16) · Georgia Plumbers exam application (retrieved 2026-09-16) · Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board: fee schedule (retrieved 2026-09-23) · GA Rules 121-3-.02 (Statewide Master and Journeyman Plumber License) (retrieved 2026-09-24). Requirements change; confirm with Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers 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 Georgia?
Georgia licenses plumbers statewide in three tiers: Journeyman, Class I Master (restricted) and Class II Master (unrestricted). Each requires documented experience and a PSI exam.
What does it cost to get licensed as a plumber in Georgia?
Each of the 3 published fees in the table above is $40, one for each step that lists it. 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 Georgia?
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 Georgia?
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Georgia earned a median $57,200 a year in May 2025, $27.50 an hour. That median is 10% below the national figure of $63,800, and Georgia ranks 43 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice plumbers make in Georgia?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Georgia under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, 313 apprentices started, at a median $16.45 an hour across the 310 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $35.08 an hour at completion (82 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What plumbers earn in Georgia
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Georgia earned a median $57,200 a year in May 2025, $27.50 an hour. 8,930 people held the job, 1.8 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 10% below the national figure of $63,800, and Georgia ranks 43 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Georgia
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.12 | $37,680 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $21.70 | $45,130 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $27.50 | $57,200 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $33.00 | $68,640 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $38.82 | $80,740 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $27.99 | $58,220 | 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 Georgia
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA employs the most plumbers of the 14 metro areas based in Georgia that BLS publishes, 5,470, at a median $58,380 a year. The best-paid is Savannah, GA at $60,530.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 5,470 | $58,380 | $37,900 | $81,580 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 540 | $54,690 | $36,490 | $77,330 |
| Savannah, GA | 380 | $60,530 | $37,580 | $78,840 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | 210 | $57,750 | $38,790 | $75,520 |
| Gainesville, GA | 210 | $51,170 | $36,400 | $76,430 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | 200 | $47,410 | $35,360 | $75,860 |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | 170 | $48,110 | $35,930 | $70,480 |
| Albany, GA | 140 | $47,700 | $34,560 | $76,960 |
| Warner Robins, GA | 130 | $58,500 | $38,490 | $70,790 |
| Dalton, GA | 90 | $47,370 | $37,670 | $72,530 |
| Valdosta, GA | 80 | $46,070 | $37,410 | $62,040 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | 70 | $59,630 | $45,560 | $101,530 |
| Hinesville, GA | 50 | $47,520 | $35,940 | $66,880 |
| Rome, GA | 40 | $48,400 | $39,470 | $59,800 |
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 Georgia: Chattanooga, TN-GA.
Georgia against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Alabama | $58,670 | 6,950 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $58,600 | 9,270 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $57,970 | 6,050 |
| 43 | Georgia | $57,200 | 8,930 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $57,080 | 14,510 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $56,980 | 1,830 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $55,480 | 3,360 |
The complete ranking is on the Plumbers and pipefitters page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Georgia | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $57,200 | $63,800 |
| Median hourly | $27.50 | $30.67 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $37,680 | $44,150 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $80,740 | $108,420 |
| Employed | 8,930 | 465,840 |
Apprenticeships in Georgia
U.S. Department of Labor records list 771 registered apprentices active in Georgia 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, 313 apprentices started, at a median $16.45 an hour across the 310 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $35.08 an hour at completion (82 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 Georgia
Electricians ($58,320) · HVAC technicians ($56,390) · Welders ($48,430) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($57,050) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($80,080) · Elevator installers ($83,500) · Ironworkers ($48,090) · Sheet metal workers ($56,800) · Carpenters ($49,350) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($50,650) · Auto service technicians ($49,060) · Diesel mechanics ($61,370) · Heavy equipment operators ($47,880) · Machinists ($52,610)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Georgia.
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.