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How to become a plumber in Louisiana
The State Plumbing Board of Louisiana requires everyone doing plumbing or gas fitting without a license to register as an apprentice, work for a master company and work under the direct, on-the-job supervision of a journeyman or master. A journeyman plumber license takes 7,000 hours of plumbing labor for an apprentice in a Louisiana Workforce Commission-approved program, or 8,000 hours otherwise, and a written and practical exam; a master license takes a current journeyman license (or a professional engineer's license) and a written exam. Licenses renew every year before December 31, to avoid delinquent fees. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Louisiana earned a median $63,680 a year in May 2025 ($30.62 an hour).
Plumber licensing in Louisiana
The licensing authority is State Plumbing Board of Louisiana. 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) | Register with the State Plumbing Board ($20), work for a master company and work under the direct, on-the-job supervision of a journeyman or master; an indentured apprentice is also in a Louisiana Workforce Commission-approved training program. The registration is renewed every year by December 31, with no continuing education. | — | — | $20 |
| Residential Plumber | 3,000 hours of plumbing labor under a licensed master's employment for an indentured apprentice, or 4,000 hours for an unindentured one; the exam ($135), then the license ($40). A residential plumber repairs existing residential plumbing in one- and two-family dwellings, employed by and at the direction of a Louisiana master plumber. Renewed every year before December 31, to avoid delinquent fees, with continuing education. | — | Residential plumber exam | $175 |
| Journeyman Plumber | A currently registered apprentice with 7,000 hours of plumbing labor (enrolled in a Louisiana Workforce Commission-approved apprenticeship) or 8,000 hours (unindentured), under the direct, constant, on-the-job supervision of a licensed journeyman or master plumber; then the exam, an 80-question, 3-hour written part and a 1-hour practical part ($135, the exam fee and a processing charge); then $50 for the license, after which a licensed journeyman works under the direct or indirect supervision of a licensed Louisiana master plumber. An applicant deemed eligible for and scheduled for the exam can get a one-time temporary work permit ($75) to work as a journeyman until the exam date. Renewed every year before December 31, to avoid delinquent fees, with continuing education. | — | Journeyman plumber exam (written and practical) | $185 |
| Master Plumber | A current journeyman plumbing license, or a current professional engineer's license from the Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board; then the three-part written exam ($110); then an active license ($190), associated with a plumbing company, or an inactive one ($40). An active master renews before December 31 each year with 5 hours of continuing education. | — | Master plumber exam (three-part, written) | $300 |
Reciprocity. The State Plumbing Board reciprocates journeyman licenses only with Arkansas and Texas and does not reciprocate master licenses. A valid plumbing license from another state can qualify its holder to take the journeyman exam, if it was obtained with at least 8,000 hours.
Renewal. Every year, before December 31 to avoid delinquent fees, with continuing education (5 hours for an active master).
Licensing source: State Plumbing Board of Louisiana: licenses (retrieved 2026-09-24). Requirements change; confirm with State Plumbing Board of Louisiana 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 Louisiana?
The State Plumbing Board of Louisiana requires everyone doing plumbing or gas fitting without a license to register as an apprentice, work for a master company and work under the direct, on-the-job supervision of a journeyman or master. A journeyman plumber license takes 7,000 hours of plumbing labor for an apprentice in a Louisiana Workforce Commission-approved program, or 8,000 hours otherwise, and a written and practical exam; a master license takes a current journeyman license (or a professional engineer's license) and a written exam. Licenses renew every year before December 31, to avoid delinquent fees.
What does it cost to get licensed as a plumber in Louisiana?
The published fees in the table above run from $20 to $300 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 Louisiana?
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 Louisiana?
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Louisiana earned a median $63,680 a year in May 2025, $30.62 an hour. That median is about the same as the national figure of $63,800, and Louisiana ranks 27 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice plumbers make in Louisiana?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Louisiana under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, 404 apprentices started, at a median $15.75 an hour across the 404 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $23.00 an hour at completion (136 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What plumbers earn in Louisiana
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Louisiana earned a median $63,680 a year in May 2025, $30.62 an hour. 8,360 people held the job, 4.3 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is about the same as the national figure of $63,800, and Louisiana ranks 27 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Louisiana
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.33 | $38,120 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $24.40 | $50,750 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $30.62 | $63,680 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $35.99 | $74,870 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $38.24 | $79,540 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $30.11 | $62,620 | 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 Louisiana
Baton Rouge, LA employs the most plumbers of the 10 metro areas based in Louisiana that BLS publishes, 2,790, at a median $74,240 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | 2,790 | $74,240 | $49,920 | $81,060 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 1,510 | $62,450 | $39,220 | $79,690 |
| Lafayette, LA | 680 | $57,930 | $35,880 | $74,790 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 680 | $59,720 | $36,830 | $77,220 |
| Lake Charles, LA | 560 | $67,990 | $45,700 | $80,640 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | 460 | $55,240 | $37,750 | $71,400 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | 340 | $58,750 | $32,030 | $82,170 |
| Monroe, LA | 240 | $55,670 | $32,830 | $74,970 |
| Alexandria, LA | 160 | $57,470 | $35,360 | $76,120 |
| Hammond, LA | 110 | $57,910 | $30,160 | $76,930 |
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.
Louisiana against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Kentucky | $64,160 | 6,360 |
| 25 | Maine | $64,000 | 2,710 |
| 26 | Iowa | $63,890 | 5,730 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $63,680 | 8,360 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $63,560 | 1,620 |
| 29 | Ohio | $63,330 | 16,390 |
| 30 | Colorado | $63,240 | 10,080 |
The complete ranking is on the Plumbers and pipefitters page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $63,680 | $63,800 |
| Median hourly | $30.62 | $30.67 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $38,120 | $44,150 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $79,540 | $108,420 |
| Employed | 8,360 | 465,840 |
Apprenticeships in Louisiana
U.S. Department of Labor records list 925 registered apprentices active in Louisiana 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, 404 apprentices started, at a median $15.75 an hour across the 404 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $23.00 an hour at completion (136 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 Louisiana
Electricians ($61,540) · HVAC technicians ($58,650) · Welders ($62,250) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($49,320) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($76,410) · Ironworkers ($68,830) · Sheet metal workers ($50,320) · Carpenters ($49,920) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($57,440) · Auto service technicians ($46,400) · Diesel mechanics ($58,680) · Heavy equipment operators ($51,700) · Machinists ($61,110)
See all 14 ranked by pay in Louisiana.
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.