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How to become a plumber in Indiana
Indiana licenses plumbers statewide through the Indiana Plumbing Commission: apprentices register in an approved apprenticeship program, journeymen are licensed after a four-year apprenticeship and an exam, and plumbing contractors hold their own license. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Indiana earned a median $76,320 a year in May 2025 ($36.69 an hour).
Plumber licensing in Indiana
The licensing authority is Indiana Plumbing Commission (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency). 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 (registration) | At least 17 and enrolled in an Indiana Plumbing Commission approved apprenticeship program, with the program sponsor's certification. Application fee $10; the registration renews every even-numbered year for $10. | — | — | $10 |
| Journeyman Plumber | Complete an Indiana Plumbing Commission approved four-year apprenticeship (at least 576 hours of classroom instruction and 6,400 hours of on-the-job training over at least four years, counting no more than 40 hours a week), or show four years of experience in the plumbing trade or, for a non-resident, a plumbing license from another state, each with the current employer's Affidavit of Experience in Plumbing Trade; at least 18; pass the journeyman plumber exam (Prov). Application fee $30; the initial license costs $15 when issued in an odd-numbered year and $30 in an even-numbered year; renews every odd-numbered year for $30. | 6,400 hrs (at least 4 yrs) | Journeyman plumber exam (Prov) | $30 |
| Plumbing Contractor | The license needed to act as a plumbing contractor. Routes: a completed approved apprenticeship; four years of experience in the plumbing trade or, for a non-resident, a plumbing license from another state, each with the current employer's Affidavit of Experience in Plumbing Trade; or four years in a plumbing business under the direction of a licensed plumbing contractor, shown by a notarized statement and a letter from the employer. At least 18; pass the plumbing contractor exam (Prov). Application fee $50; the initial license costs $50 when issued in an odd-numbered year and $100 in an even-numbered year; renews every odd-numbered year for $100. | — | Plumbing contractor exam (Prov) | $50 |
Renewal. Every two years (journeyman and contractor licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years; apprentice registrations October 1 of even-numbered years).
Licensing sources: Indiana PLA: plumbing licensing information (retrieved 2026-09-23) · 860 IAC 1: Indiana Plumbing Commission general provisions (retrieved 2026-09-23) · 860 IAC 2: apprentice plumber (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Indiana Code 25-28.5-1-12 (plumber licensing requirements; nonresidents), via Justia (retrieved 2026-10-03). Requirements change; confirm with Indiana Plumbing Commission (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) before you act.
Years to this license at your hours a week → · 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 Indiana?
Indiana licenses plumbers statewide through the Indiana Plumbing Commission: apprentices register in an approved apprenticeship program, journeymen are licensed after a four-year apprenticeship and an exam, and plumbing contractors hold their own license.
What does it cost to get licensed as a plumber in Indiana?
The published fees in the table above run from $10 to $50 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 Indiana?
You can be licensed as Journeyman Plumber after 6,400 hours of on-the-job training over at least 4 years.
How much do plumbers make in Indiana?
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Indiana earned a median $76,320 a year in May 2025, $36.69 an hour. That median is 20% above the national figure of $63,800, and Indiana ranks 16 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice plumbers make in Indiana?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Indiana under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, 1,449 apprentices started, at a median $20.00 an hour across the 1,449 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $36.81 an hour at completion (467 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What plumbers earn in Indiana
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Indiana earned a median $76,320 a year in May 2025, $36.69 an hour. 11,280 people held the job, 3.5 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 20% above the national figure of $63,800, and Indiana ranks 16 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Indiana
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.54 | $46,890 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $27.89 | $58,010 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $36.69 | $76,320 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $46.52 | $96,760 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $49.29 | $102,520 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $36.37 | $75,660 | 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 Indiana
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN employs the most plumbers of the 12 metro areas based in Indiana that BLS publishes, 4,010, at a median $76,980 a year. The best-paid is Bloomington, IN at $96,980.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 4,010 | $76,980 | $46,740 | $102,370 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 1,160 | $77,110 | $47,850 | $102,520 |
| Evansville, IN | 560 | $73,190 | $45,660 | $98,430 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | 490 | $74,190 | $46,420 | $99,060 |
| Terre Haute, IN | 420 | $90,250 | $46,120 | $99,990 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 400 | $64,730 | $45,430 | $104,060 |
| Kokomo, IN | 400 | $91,470 | $50,430 | $96,660 |
| Bloomington, IN | 320 | $96,980 | $48,590 | $98,740 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | 320 | $62,780 | $44,800 | $100,350 |
| Columbus, IN | 100 | $85,930 | $49,400 | $97,070 |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | 90 | $82,200 | $48,030 | $98,620 |
| Muncie, IN | 50 | $64,790 | $47,280 | $84,410 |
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 Indiana: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
Indiana against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | New York | $77,490 | 23,210 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $77,280 | 5,410 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $76,470 | 1,820 |
| 16 | Indiana | $76,320 | 11,280 |
| 17 | California | $72,830 | 47,660 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $68,080 | 13,620 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $66,810 | 1,950 |
The complete ranking is on the Plumbers and pipefitters page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Indiana | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $76,320 | $63,800 |
| Median hourly | $36.69 | $30.67 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $46,890 | $44,150 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $102,520 | $108,420 |
| Employed | 11,280 | 465,840 |
Apprenticeships in Indiana
U.S. Department of Labor records list 3,525 registered apprentices active in Indiana 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, 1,449 apprentices started, at a median $20.00 an hour across the 1,449 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $36.81 an hour at completion (467 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 Indiana
Electricians ($68,490) · HVAC technicians ($60,430) · Welders ($49,730) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($60,290) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($102,040) · Elevator installers ($92,390) · Ironworkers ($70,130) · Sheet metal workers ($64,040) · Carpenters ($62,870) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($73,110) · Auto service technicians ($49,360) · Diesel mechanics ($60,610) · Heavy equipment operators ($79,580) · Machinists ($57,800)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Indiana.
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.