Home › Trades › Plumbers and pipefitters › New Jersey
How to become a plumber in New Jersey
New Jersey licenses master plumbers through the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers and registers apprentice and journeyman plumbers, who work under a licensed master plumber. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in New Jersey earned a median $78,240 a year in May 2025 ($37.61 an hour).
Plumber licensing in New Jersey
The licensing authority is New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers. 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) | Anyone other than a master or journeyman plumber whose main occupation is learning and assisting in plumbing installation. Registration fee $50. | — | — | $50 |
| Journeyman Plumber (registration) | Completed four years in a US Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship (or a bachelor's degree in mechanical, plumbing or sanitary engineering) and works under a licensed master plumber or supervisory journeyman. Registration fee $50 after an apprentice registration, $75 without one. | — | — | $50 |
| Master Plumber | At least 21; a completed four-year US Department of Labor apprenticeship that includes propane training (or a mechanical, plumbing or sanitary engineering bachelor's degree with that training), then one year of at least 1,200 hours as a New Jersey journeyman; pass the three-part exam with 70 in each part. The application fee is $50 after a prior registration ($100 without), and the initial license fee is $160 or $80 depending on the year of the two-year cycle. | — | Three-part exam: National Standard Plumbing Code, practical, laws and rules (third-party vendor) | $50 |
Renewal. Every two years, with five credits of continuing education (not required at the first renewal).
Licensing sources: N.J.A.C. 13:32-1.3 (definitions: apprentice and journeyman plumber) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.1 (master plumber examination eligibility) (retrieved 2026-10-03) · N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2 (master plumber experience) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.3 (examination) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.6 (renewal of license) (retrieved 2026-10-03) · N.J.A.C. 13:32-5.1 (fees) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · N.J.A.C. 13:32-6.1 (continuing education) (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers 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 New Jersey?
New Jersey licenses master plumbers through the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers and registers apprentice and journeyman plumbers, who work under a licensed master plumber.
What does it cost to get licensed as a plumber in New Jersey?
Each of the 3 published fees in the table above is $50, one for each step that lists it. 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 New Jersey?
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 New Jersey?
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in New Jersey earned a median $78,240 a year in May 2025, $37.61 an hour. That median is 23% above the national figure of $63,800, and New Jersey ranks 11 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice plumbers make in New Jersey?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in New Jersey under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, 515 apprentices started, at a median $19.00 an hour across the 515 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $36.50 an hour at completion (272 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What plumbers earn in New Jersey
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in New Jersey earned a median $78,240 a year in May 2025, $37.61 an hour. 8,750 people held the job, 2.0 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 23% above the national figure of $63,800, and New Jersey ranks 11 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in New Jersey
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23.42 | $48,720 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $29.72 | $61,810 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $37.61 | $78,240 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $51.36 | $106,830 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $65.73 | $136,710 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $44.51 | $92,590 | 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 New Jersey
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ employs the most plumbers of the 3 metro areas based in New Jersey that BLS publishes, 530, at a median $64,220 a year. The best-paid is Vineland, NJ at $77,060.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 530 | $64,220 | $45,030 | $111,780 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 280 | $76,360 | $50,440 | $127,300 |
| Vineland, NJ | 270 | $77,060 | $47,460 | $133,050 |
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 New Jersey: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD and Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ.
New Jersey against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 13 | New York | $77,490 | 23,210 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $77,280 | 5,410 |
The complete ranking is on the Plumbers and pipefitters page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $78,240 | $63,800 |
| Median hourly | $37.61 | $30.67 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $48,720 | $44,150 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $136,710 | $108,420 |
| Employed | 8,750 | 465,840 |
Apprenticeships in New Jersey
U.S. Department of Labor records list 1,179 registered apprentices active in New Jersey 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, 515 apprentices started, at a median $19.00 an hour across the 515 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $36.50 an hour at completion (272 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 New Jersey
Electricians ($77,250) · HVAC technicians ($74,450) · Welders ($59,440) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($63,570) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($121,580) · Elevator installers ($137,920) · Ironworkers ($113,220) · Sheet metal workers ($92,840) · Carpenters ($64,010) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($77,010) · Auto service technicians ($56,610) · Diesel mechanics ($72,340) · Heavy equipment operators ($89,660) · Machinists ($63,190)
See all 15 ranked by pay in New Jersey.
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.