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How to become a plumber in Ohio
Ohio issues a state plumbing license for commercial contractors through the OCILB; Columbus, shown as an example, licenses journeyperson plumbers. The pages read do not say whether the state licenses individual plumbers. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Ohio earned a median $63,330 a year in May 2025 ($30.45 an hour).
Plumber licensing in Ohio
The licensing authority is Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Ohio Department of Commerce. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman / Residential Plumber (local, Columbus example) | Ohio's board issues contractor licenses, also called master licenses, and local building and health departments regulate residential contractors. Columbus requires five years' experience (or a US DOL apprenticeship) and the ICC Journeyman exam (minimum 70%). | — | National Standard Journeyman Plumber exam (ICC, minimum 70%) | not published |
| Commercial Plumbing Contractor (state, OCILB) | At least 18; five years as a tradesperson in the plumbing trade immediately before applying, or registration as an Ohio engineer with three years of business experience in the trade's construction industry, or other experience the board's specialty section accepts; pass the PSI exam; carry at least $500,000 liability insurance. Application fee $25, and $25 for the license once both exam sections are passed. | — | OCILB plumbing exam (trade + business and law, PSI) | $50 |
Reciprocity. No blanket reciprocity; Ohio has an out-of-state pathway for someone holding a substantially similar license.
Renewal. Annual, with 10 hours of continuing education.
Licensing sources: Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (retrieved 2026-09-16) · City of Columbus Journeyperson Plumber Application (retrieved 2026-09-16) · Ohio OCILB: examination application (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (Division of Industrial Compliance) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Ohio Revised Code 4740.06 (retrieved 2026-09-24). Requirements change; confirm with Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Ohio Department of Commerce 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 Ohio?
Ohio issues a state plumbing license for commercial contractors through the OCILB; Columbus, shown as an example, licenses journeyperson plumbers. The pages read do not say whether the state licenses individual plumbers.
What does it cost to get licensed as a plumber in Ohio?
The published fee in the table above is $50. 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 Ohio?
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 Ohio?
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Ohio earned a median $63,330 a year in May 2025, $30.45 an hour. That median is 1% below the national figure of $63,800, and Ohio ranks 29 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice plumbers make in Ohio?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Ohio under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, 768 apprentices started, at a median $18.79 an hour across the 750 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $38.02 an hour at completion (286 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What plumbers earn in Ohio
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Ohio earned a median $63,330 a year in May 2025, $30.45 an hour. 16,390 people held the job, 3.0 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 1% below the national figure of $63,800, and Ohio ranks 29 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Ohio
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $21.86 | $45,470 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $24.06 | $50,040 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $30.45 | $63,330 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $40.51 | $84,260 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $48.75 | $101,410 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $33.51 | $69,700 | 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 Ohio
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN employs the most plumbers of the 12 metro areas based in Ohio that BLS publishes, 3,640, at a median $65,160 a year. The best-paid is Toledo, OH at $66,920.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 3,640 | $65,160 | $46,830 | $101,800 |
| Columbus, OH | 3,060 | $63,260 | $40,820 | $103,000 |
| Cleveland, OH | 3,040 | $63,020 | $46,330 | $101,220 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 1,130 | $62,940 | $46,680 | $99,180 |
| Toledo, OH | 1,100 | $66,920 | $46,530 | $103,520 |
| Akron, OH | 1,070 | $63,450 | $44,780 | $99,710 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | 460 | $59,960 | $39,100 | $90,440 |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH | 410 | $59,680 | $39,190 | $94,370 |
| Lima, OH | 170 | $61,160 | $47,010 | $98,240 |
| Mansfield, OH | 120 | $59,770 | $44,950 | $85,300 |
| Sandusky, OH | 110 | $65,780 | $47,380 | $96,410 |
| Springfield, OH | 90 | $58,060 | $45,410 | $78,660 |
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 Ohio: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Wheeling, WV-OH and Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH.
Ohio against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Iowa | $63,890 | 5,730 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $63,680 | 8,360 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $63,560 | 1,620 |
| 29 | Ohio | $63,330 | 16,390 |
| 30 | Colorado | $63,240 | 10,080 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $62,410 | 1,140 |
| 32 | Vermont | $62,170 | 980 |
The complete ranking is on the Plumbers and pipefitters page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Ohio | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $63,330 | $63,800 |
| Median hourly | $30.45 | $30.67 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $45,470 | $44,150 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $101,410 | $108,420 |
| Employed | 16,390 | 465,840 |
Apprenticeships in Ohio
U.S. Department of Labor records list 2,146 registered apprentices active in Ohio 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, 768 apprentices started, at a median $18.79 an hour across the 750 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $38.02 an hour at completion (286 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 Ohio
Electricians ($64,700) · HVAC technicians ($62,510) · Welders ($50,340) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($59,800) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($93,150) · Elevator installers ($105,020) · Ironworkers ($74,710) · Sheet metal workers ($74,790) · Carpenters ($60,810) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($70,950) · Auto service technicians ($48,710) · Diesel mechanics ($60,470) · Heavy equipment operators ($64,940) · Machinists ($57,940)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Ohio.
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.