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How to become a plumber in Virginia
Virginia licenses journeyman and master plumbers as tradesmen through the Board for Contractors (DPOR); a license expires after three years and renews with three hours of code-update continuing education. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Virginia earned a median $60,470 a year in May 2025 ($29.07 an hour).
Plumber licensing in Virginia
The licensing authority is Virginia Board for Contractors, Tradesman Program (DPOR). 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 Plumber (tradesman) | At least 18 and one of: four years of practical experience in the trade and 240 hours of formal vocational training (or five years and 160 hours, six years and 80 hours, seven or more years and 40 hours); an associate's degree or two-year certificate in a related field from an accredited community college or technical school plus two years of experience; a related engineering bachelor's degree plus one year; eight years of experience verified by people who saw the work; or a current journeyman or master license from outside Virginia. Pass the journeyman exam. A completed registered apprenticeship also qualifies, and some Virginia apprenticeship sponsors hold an exemption from the exam. The application fee on DPOR's July 2026 form is $171.75 (the regulation lists $150; the form adds a technology-fee note). The exam is separate: $100, paid to PSI. | — | Virginia journeyman plumbing tradesman exam | $171.75 |
| Master Plumber (tradesman) | One of: one year of practical experience as a licensed journeyman in the trade; nine years of practical experience verified by people who saw the work; or a current master license from outside Virginia; or three years as a Virginia licensed residential HVAC or plumber tradesman. Pass the master exam. The application fee on DPOR's July 2026 form is $171.75 (the regulation lists $150; the form adds a technology-fee note). The exam is separate: $125, paid to PSI. | — | Virginia master plumbing tradesman exam | $171.75 |
Renewal. Every three years, with 3 hours of continuing education.
Licensing sources: DPOR Tradesman Exam & License Application (A501-2710EXLIC, 07/01/2026) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · 18VAC50-30-90 (fees) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · DPOR Tradesmen Program (exam fees paid to PSI) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · 18VAC50-30-120 (renewal and continuing education) (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with Virginia Board for Contractors, Tradesman Program (DPOR) 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 Virginia?
Virginia licenses journeyman and master plumbers as tradesmen through the Board for Contractors (DPOR); a license expires after three years and renews with three hours of code-update continuing education.
What does it cost to get licensed as a plumber in Virginia?
Each of the 2 published fees in the table above is $171.75, 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 Virginia?
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 Virginia?
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Virginia earned a median $60,470 a year in May 2025, $29.07 an hour. That median is 5% below the national figure of $63,800, and Virginia ranks 38 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice plumbers make in Virginia?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Virginia under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, 375 apprentices started, at a median $16.90 an hour across the 364 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $26.00 an hour at completion (158 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What plumbers earn in Virginia
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Virginia earned a median $60,470 a year in May 2025, $29.07 an hour. 13,780 people held the job, 3.4 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 5% below the national figure of $63,800, and Virginia ranks 38 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Virginia
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $21.14 | $43,970 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $23.72 | $49,350 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $29.07 | $60,470 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $34.51 | $71,780 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $37.52 | $78,050 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $29.16 | $60,650 | 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 Virginia
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC has the largest published employment count of the 9 metro areas based in Virginia that BLS publishes, 5,100, at a median $61,870 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 5,100 | $61,870 | $45,720 | $75,410 |
| Richmond, VA | 2,340 | $61,480 | $44,420 | $77,490 |
| Roanoke, VA | 560 | $51,700 | $38,270 | $71,870 |
| Lynchburg, VA | 330 | $57,210 | $39,130 | $72,920 |
| Charlottesville, VA | 240 | $56,510 | $42,210 | $74,620 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | 240 | $52,290 | $39,710 | $80,120 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | 160 | $57,760 | $40,110 | $73,930 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | 110 | $51,250 | $39,720 | $72,460 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | not published | $53,340 | $42,320 | $80,150 |
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 Virginia: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA.
Virginia against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Nevada | $61,610 | 5,370 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $61,440 | 2,830 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $60,970 | 4,110 |
| 38 | Virginia | $60,470 | 13,780 |
| 39 | Texas | $59,840 | 44,090 |
| 40 | Alabama | $58,670 | 6,950 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $58,600 | 9,270 |
The complete ranking is on the Plumbers and pipefitters page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $60,470 | $63,800 |
| Median hourly | $29.07 | $30.67 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $43,970 | $44,150 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $78,050 | $108,420 |
| Employed | 13,780 | 465,840 |
Apprenticeships in Virginia
U.S. Department of Labor records list 1,128 registered apprentices active in Virginia 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, 375 apprentices started, at a median $16.90 an hour across the 364 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $26.00 an hour at completion (158 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 Virginia
Electricians ($62,900) · HVAC technicians ($59,730) · Welders ($59,180) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($56,860) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($76,590) · Elevator installers ($108,250) · Ironworkers ($60,260) · Sheet metal workers ($52,220) · Carpenters ($55,690) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($54,680) · Auto service technicians ($59,330) · Diesel mechanics ($61,090) · Heavy equipment operators ($57,160) · Machinists ($61,290)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Virginia.
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.