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How to become a plumber in Maryland
Maryland licenses plumbers through the Board of Plumbing everywhere except Baltimore County and the areas the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) serves in Prince George's and Montgomery counties, which issue their own licenses. Under the board, a journey license follows four years as an apprentice and 7,500 hours of training under a master plumber, and a master license two more years and 3,750 hours. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Maryland earned a median $65,400 a year in May 2025 ($31.44 an hour).
Plumber licensing in Maryland
The licensing authority is Maryland Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor). 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 | At least 16. The first license; apprentices train under the control and direction of a licensed master plumber. License fee $18.50. | — | — | $18.50 |
| Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter | Hold an apprentice license at least four years, complete 7,500 hours of training under the control and direction of a licensed master plumber and 32 hours of training in backflow prevention device testing, then pass a comprehensive written exam. License fee $43.50. | 7,500 hrs (at least 4 yrs) | Comprehensive written journey exam | $43.50 |
| Master Plumber/Gas Fitter | Hold a journey license at least two years and complete 3,750 hours of training under the direction and control of a licensed master plumber, then pass a comprehensive written exam. License fee $87.50. | 3,750 hrs (at least 2 yrs) | Comprehensive written master exam | $87.50 |
Licensing sources: Maryland Board of Plumbing: home (where the board's licenses apply) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Maryland Board of Plumbing: license requirements (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Maryland Board of Plumbing: forms and fees (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with Maryland Board of Plumbing (Maryland Department of Labor) 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 Maryland?
Maryland licenses plumbers through the Board of Plumbing everywhere except Baltimore County and the areas the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) serves in Prince George's and Montgomery counties, which issue their own licenses. Under the board, a journey license follows four years as an apprentice and 7,500 hours of training under a master plumber, and a master license two more years and 3,750 hours.
What does it cost to get licensed as a plumber in Maryland?
The published fees in the table above run from $18.50 to $87.50 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 Maryland?
Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter takes 7,500 hours of on-the-job experience over at least 4 years; the pages read do not say whether a worker needs a license to do the work, and the table above has each license's own requirement.
How much do plumbers make in Maryland?
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Maryland earned a median $65,400 a year in May 2025, $31.44 an hour. That median is 3% above the national figure of $63,800, and Maryland ranks 21 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice plumbers make in Maryland?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Maryland under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, 281 apprentices started, at a median $21.59 an hour across the 281 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $50.27 an hour at completion (176 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What plumbers earn in Maryland
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Maryland earned a median $65,400 a year in May 2025, $31.44 an hour. 11,420 people held the job, 4.1 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 3% above the national figure of $63,800, and Maryland ranks 21 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Maryland
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $21.94 | $45,630 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $26.34 | $54,780 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $31.44 | $65,400 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $45.62 | $94,890 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $52.13 | $108,420 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $35.34 | $73,510 | 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 Maryland
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD employs the most plumbers of the 4 metro areas based in Maryland that BLS publishes, 5,220, at a median $63,200 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 5,220 | $63,200 | $45,220 | $102,640 |
| Salisbury, MD | 330 | $61,940 | $39,470 | $97,060 |
| Lexington Park, MD | 260 | $57,700 | $41,940 | $96,870 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 250 | $55,130 | $37,530 | $87,880 |
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 Maryland: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
Maryland against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $68,080 | 13,620 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $66,810 | 1,950 |
| 20 | Missouri | $66,790 | 8,310 |
| 21 | Maryland | $65,400 | 11,420 |
| 22 | Kansas | $65,220 | 4,590 |
| 23 | Delaware | $64,720 | 1,590 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $64,160 | 6,360 |
The complete ranking is on the Plumbers and pipefitters page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Maryland | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $65,400 | $63,800 |
| Median hourly | $31.44 | $30.67 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $45,630 | $44,150 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $108,420 | $108,420 |
| Employed | 11,420 | 465,840 |
Apprenticeships in Maryland
U.S. Department of Labor records list 1,102 registered apprentices active in Maryland 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, 281 apprentices started, at a median $21.59 an hour across the 281 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $50.27 an hour at completion (176 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 Maryland
Electricians ($73,490) · HVAC technicians ($70,020) · Welders ($60,310) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($59,360) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($106,090) · Elevator installers ($122,260) · Ironworkers ($71,730) · Sheet metal workers ($62,560) · Carpenters ($62,960) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($59,030) · Auto service technicians ($57,520) · Diesel mechanics ($74,790) · Heavy equipment operators ($61,410) · Machinists ($59,810)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Maryland.
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.