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How to become a plumber in Missouri
Missouri has no state plumbing board: plumbing is not among the licensing boards its Division of Professional Registration lists. Kansas City, for example, certifies its own plumbers: journeymen after two years in the trade and masters after three. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Missouri earned a median $66,790 a year in May 2025 ($32.11 an hour).
Plumber licensing in Missouri
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Journeyman Plumber certificate (city example) | At least two years installing plumbing, shown by two notarized reference letters; at least 21, with a high-school diploma or GED (or an extra year of experience for each year lacking); pass the journeyman plumbing with gas exam (Prometric 30615 or ICC 675). The certificate lets you work at the trade as an employee of a licensed plumbing contractor. Application fee $60. | — | Journeyman plumbing with gas exam (Prometric 30615 or ICC 675) | $60 |
| Kansas City Master Plumber certificate (city example) | Three years of full-time plumbing work including one year as a certified journeyman plumber, shown by two notarized reference letters; at least 21 with a high-school diploma or GED (or an extra year of experience for each year lacking); then the city's Prometric master plumbing with gas exam (30315), or a comparable Prometric, ICC or other approved exam score the building official accepts. Application fee $60. | — | Prometric or ICC master plumber exam | $60 |
Licensing sources: Missouri Division of Professional Registration: listings of boards (retrieved 2026-09-23) · City of Kansas City, MO: contractor licensing (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Kansas City, MO: journeyman plumber certificate of qualification requirements (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Kansas City, MO: master plumber certificate of qualification requirements (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with the city or county where you will work 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 Missouri?
Missouri has no state plumbing board: plumbing is not among the licensing boards its Division of Professional Registration lists. Kansas City, for example, certifies its own plumbers: journeymen after two years in the trade and masters after three.
What does it cost to get licensed as a plumber in Missouri?
Each of the 2 published fees in the table above is $60, one for each step that lists it. They are charged by Kansas City, not by the state. 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 Missouri?
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 Missouri?
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Missouri earned a median $66,790 a year in May 2025, $32.11 an hour. That median is 5% above the national figure of $63,800, and Missouri ranks 20 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice plumbers make in Missouri?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Missouri under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, 399 apprentices started, at a median $21.27 an hour across the 397 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $40.25 an hour at completion (166 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What plumbers earn in Missouri
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Missouri earned a median $66,790 a year in May 2025, $32.11 an hour. 8,310 people held the job, 2.8 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 5% above the national figure of $63,800, and Missouri ranks 20 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Missouri
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $21.53 | $44,780 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $24.35 | $50,640 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $32.11 | $66,790 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $48.19 | $100,240 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $56.34 | $117,180 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $36.06 | $75,010 | 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 Missouri
St. Louis, MO-IL employs the most plumbers of the 8 metro areas based in Missouri that BLS publishes, 4,060, at a median $77,000 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 4,060 | $77,000 | $47,040 | $121,230 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 3,740 | $76,150 | $46,800 | $122,820 |
| Springfield, MO | 660 | $61,410 | $45,670 | $105,470 |
| Columbia, MO | 310 | $58,010 | $36,800 | $96,920 |
| Jefferson City, MO | 290 | $49,560 | $42,850 | $101,210 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | 200 | $68,290 | $47,660 | $116,580 |
| Joplin, MO-KS | 180 | $64,370 | $42,210 | $101,640 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | 120 | $65,180 | $40,100 | $104,070 |
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.
Missouri against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | California | $72,830 | 47,660 |
| 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 |
The complete ranking is on the Plumbers and pipefitters page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Missouri | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $66,790 | $63,800 |
| Median hourly | $32.11 | $30.67 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $44,780 | $44,150 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $117,180 | $108,420 |
| Employed | 8,310 | 465,840 |
Apprenticeships in Missouri
U.S. Department of Labor records list 1,383 registered apprentices active in Missouri 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, 399 apprentices started, at a median $21.27 an hour across the 397 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $40.25 an hour at completion (166 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 Missouri
Electricians ($65,410) · HVAC technicians ($59,950) · Welders ($51,950) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($54,550) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($96,360) · Elevator installers ($126,750) · Ironworkers ($77,410) · Sheet metal workers ($63,560) · Carpenters ($60,840) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($72,370) · Auto service technicians ($49,160) · Diesel mechanics ($59,360) · Heavy equipment operators ($60,540) · Machinists ($58,710)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Missouri.
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.