Home › Trades › Plumbers and pipefitters › New York
How to become a plumber in New York
In New York, local governments regulate the trade of plumbing under state General City Law, Article 4. New York City's Department of Buildings licenses Master Plumbers; other localities set their own requirements. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in New York earned a median $77,490 a year in May 2025 ($37.26 an hour).
Plumber licensing in New York
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYC Master Plumber (NYC DOB) | Seven years of plumbing experience within the last ten under a licensed master plumber, at least two of them as a DOB-registered journeyman, then a written exam (70% to pass) and a separate practical exam. The written exam costs $585 and the practical exam, taken after passing it, $530; the license is $200, and the Department's fee table also lists a $50 seal fee for a new license. | — | Written NYC code exam (70% to pass) plus a practical exam | $1,365 |
Reciprocity. Licensing requirements are local: the state's Business Express page sends plumbers to their local plumbing board.
Renewal. Every 3 years, with 7 hours of continuing education.
Licensing sources: NYC DOB Master Plumber license (retrieved 2026-09-16) · NY Business Express: plumbing regulated by local government (retrieved 2026-09-16) · NYC Department of Buildings: master plumbers and master fire suppression piping contractors (retrieved 2026-10-03). 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 New York?
In New York, local governments regulate the trade of plumbing under state General City Law, Article 4. New York City's Department of Buildings licenses Master Plumbers; other localities set their own requirements.
What does it cost to get licensed as a plumber in New York?
The published fee in the table above is $1,365. It is charged by New York 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 New York?
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 York?
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in New York earned a median $77,490 a year in May 2025, $37.26 an hour. That median is 21% above the national figure of $63,800, and New York ranks 13 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice plumbers make in New York?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in New York under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, 51 apprentices started, at a median $21.28 an hour across the 50 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 22 have an exit wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs. Wages are in that year's dollars.
What plumbers earn in New York
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in New York earned a median $77,490 a year in May 2025, $37.26 an hour. 23,210 people held the job, 2.4 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 21% above the national figure of $63,800, and New York ranks 13 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in New York
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.18 | $46,130 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $28.83 | $59,960 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $37.26 | $77,490 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $48.67 | $101,230 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $62.70 | $130,420 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $40.29 | $83,790 | 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 York
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ employs the most plumbers of the 13 metro areas based in New York that BLS publishes, 21,040, at a median $78,610 a year. The best-paid is Binghamton, NY at $87,990.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 21,040 | $78,610 | $47,870 | $145,480 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 1,470 | $77,460 | $47,050 | $116,550 |
| Rochester, NY | 1,460 | $73,580 | $43,570 | $100,140 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 1,430 | $72,230 | $40,300 | $104,040 |
| Syracuse, NY | 840 | $67,040 | $44,720 | $99,450 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 780 | $64,990 | $37,890 | $117,880 |
| Binghamton, NY | 280 | $87,990 | $45,820 | $120,910 |
| Kingston, NY | 180 | $70,190 | $43,880 | $130,810 |
| Elmira, NY | 140 | $64,680 | $45,100 | $119,150 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | 140 | $72,810 | $45,830 | $105,820 |
| Glens Falls, NY | 110 | $81,820 | $43,860 | $124,990 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 100 | $61,490 | $39,230 | $141,800 |
| Ithaca, NY | 70 | $64,460 | $43,750 | $118,640 |
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.
New York against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $76,470 | 1,820 |
| 16 | Indiana | $76,320 | 11,280 |
The complete ranking is on the Plumbers and pipefitters page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $77,490 | $63,800 |
| Median hourly | $37.26 | $30.67 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $46,130 | $44,150 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $130,420 | $108,420 |
| Employed | 23,210 | 465,840 |
Apprenticeships in New York
U.S. Department of Labor records list 159 registered apprentices active in New York 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, 51 apprentices started, at a median $21.28 an hour across the 50 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 22 have an exit wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs.
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 York
Electricians ($78,750) · HVAC technicians ($74,430) · Welders ($59,140) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($62,050) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($121,280) · Elevator installers ($135,720) · Ironworkers ($92,610) · Sheet metal workers ($73,760) · Carpenters ($72,330) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($84,410) · Auto service technicians ($54,120) · Diesel mechanics ($70,100) · Heavy equipment operators ($80,980) · Machinists ($60,920)
See all 15 ranked by pay in New York.
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.