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How to become a plumber in Michigan
Michigan licenses plumbers at the state level through LARA on a three-step path: registered Apprentice, Journey Plumber (6,000 hours over 3+ years plus an exam), and Master Plumber (4,000 hours as a journey plumber over 2+ years plus an exam). Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Michigan earned a median $80,190 a year in May 2025 ($38.56 an hour).
Plumber licensing in Michigan
The licensing authority is Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Plumbing 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 (registration) | Register within 30 days of employment and work under a licensed journey or master plumber, keeping the registration current so hours count. | — | — | $15 |
| Journey Plumber | At least 18; 6,000 hours over at least 3 years as a registered apprentice; pass the written portion of the exam (scheduled with PSI) and the hands-on practical portion (scheduled by email to LARA). License fee $40, paid with the application. Examination fee $100; it is paid to PSI when the written examination is scheduled. | 6,000 hrs (at least 3 yrs) | Journey plumber written exam (PSI, $100) + hands-on practical exam (LARA) | $40 |
| Master Plumber | At least 18; 4,000 hours as a journey plumber over at least 2 years; pass the exam (PSI). License fee $300 (issued for up to 3 years). | 4,000 hrs (at least 2 yrs) | Master plumber exam (PSI, $100) | $300 |
Renewal. Annual for the journey and apprentice registrations (the master license is issued for up to three years).
Licensing sources: Michigan LARA Plumbing Licensing (retrieved 2026-09-16) · MCL 339.6121 (fees) (retrieved 2026-09-16) · MCL 339.6107 (plumbing license or registration required) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · MCL 339.6117 (apprentice plumber registration) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Michigan LARA Application for Journey Plumber Examination & License (BCC-329A) (retrieved 2026-10-03). Requirements change; confirm with Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Plumbing Board 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 Michigan?
Michigan licenses plumbers at the state level through LARA on a three-step path: registered Apprentice, Journey Plumber (6,000 hours over 3+ years plus an exam), and Master Plumber (4,000 hours as a journey plumber over 2+ years plus an exam).
What does it cost to get licensed as a plumber in Michigan?
The published fees in the table above run from $15 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 Michigan?
You can be licensed as Journey Plumber after 6,000 hours of on-the-job training over at least 3 years; higher tiers take longer.
How much do plumbers make in Michigan?
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Michigan earned a median $80,190 a year in May 2025, $38.56 an hour. That median is 26% above the national figure of $63,800, and Michigan ranks 9 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice plumbers make in Michigan?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Michigan under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, 612 apprentices started, at a median $19.91 an hour across the 612 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $39.01 an hour at completion (221 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What plumbers earn in Michigan
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Michigan earned a median $80,190 a year in May 2025, $38.56 an hour. 14,120 people held the job, 3.2 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 26% above the national figure of $63,800, and Michigan ranks 9 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Michigan
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.38 | $46,560 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $27.93 | $58,090 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $38.56 | $80,190 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $45.86 | $95,390 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $49.73 | $103,430 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $37.14 | $77,250 | 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 Michigan
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI employs the most plumbers of the 15 metro areas based in Michigan that BLS publishes, 5,520, at a median $86,370 a year. The best-paid is Kalamazoo-Portage, MI at $90,730.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 5,520 | $86,370 | $48,250 | $107,780 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 2,270 | $80,440 | $46,630 | $98,210 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 870 | $90,730 | $48,200 | $111,670 |
| Flint, MI | 790 | $80,510 | $46,010 | $105,850 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 650 | $78,190 | $44,190 | $97,740 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 420 | $78,210 | $47,610 | $102,590 |
| Saginaw, MI | 260 | $80,440 | $45,520 | $101,440 |
| Jackson, MI | 250 | $81,930 | $44,320 | $109,220 |
| Monroe, MI | 250 | $80,700 | $45,610 | $102,160 |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | 200 | $76,290 | $43,930 | $91,730 |
| Traverse City, MI | 190 | $63,100 | $41,940 | $95,400 |
| Battle Creek, MI | 140 | $73,900 | $45,480 | $103,370 |
| Midland, MI | 130 | $63,930 | $41,620 | $94,570 |
| Bay City, MI | 110 | $74,490 | $39,040 | $106,870 |
| Niles, MI | 90 | $59,810 | $39,590 | $92,880 |
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 Michigan: South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
Michigan against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Massachusetts | $93,880 | 13,460 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $81,210 | 10,210 |
| 8 | Washington | $81,030 | 12,470 |
| 9 | Michigan | $80,190 | 14,120 |
| 10 | Montana | $79,960 | 1,860 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $78,240 | 8,750 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $78,060 | 2,500 |
The complete ranking is on the Plumbers and pipefitters page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Michigan | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $80,190 | $63,800 |
| Median hourly | $38.56 | $30.67 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $46,560 | $44,150 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $103,430 | $108,420 |
| Employed | 14,120 | 465,840 |
Apprenticeships in Michigan
U.S. Department of Labor records list 1,857 registered apprentices active in Michigan 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, 612 apprentices started, at a median $19.91 an hour across the 612 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $39.01 an hour at completion (221 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 Michigan
Electricians ($76,270) · HVAC technicians ($60,850) · Welders ($49,990) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($57,180) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($106,890) · Elevator installers ($99,140) · Ironworkers ($62,830) · Sheet metal workers ($64,490) · Carpenters ($61,680) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($63,500) · Auto service technicians ($54,120) · Diesel mechanics ($61,420) · Heavy equipment operators ($62,690) · Machinists ($52,360)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Michigan.
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.