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How to become a plumber in Washington
Washington requires an L&I plumber certificate: you start as a plumber trainee under a certified plumber and qualify for the journey level exam with 8,000 hours over at least four years, 4,000 of them in commercial plumbing. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Washington earned a median $81,030 a year in May 2025 ($38.96 an hour).
Plumber licensing in Washington
The licensing authority is Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Plumber Certification. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumber Trainee (certificate) | At least 16; work under the direct supervision of a certified plumber, report your hours at least once a year and take 8 hours of approved continuing education each year to renew. The certificate costs $60.00 and is good for 12 months. | — | — | $60 |
| Residential Specialty Plumber | 6,000 hours over at least three years of documented training under a certified residential specialty or journey level plumber, plus 16 hours of continuing education, at least 4 of them industry-related electrical training, before testing. Exam $202.10; the certificate is $242.70 once you pass. | 6,000 hrs (at least 3 yrs) | Residential specialty plumber exam | $444.80 |
| Journey Level Plumber | 8,000 hours over at least four years of documented training, including 4,000 hours of commercial plumbing under a certified journey level plumber, plus 16 hours of continuing education, at least 4 of them industry-related electrical training, before testing. Exam $202.10; the certificate is $242.70 once you pass. | 8,000 hrs (at least 4 yrs) | Journey level plumber exam | $444.80 |
Reciprocity. Washington reciprocates with Idaho for holders of an active Idaho journey level plumber card.
Renewal. Every three years, on your birthday ($242.70 for journey level and residential), with proof of continuing education.
Licensing sources: L&I: Get or renew your plumber certification (retrieved 2026-09-23) · L&I: Plumber trainee (retrieved 2026-09-23) · WAC 296-400A-121 (trainee experience and examination) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · RCW 18.106.020 (certificate or permit required) (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Plumber Certification before you act.
Years to this license at your hours a week → · 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 Washington?
Washington requires an L&I plumber certificate: you start as a plumber trainee under a certified plumber and qualify for the journey level exam with 8,000 hours over at least four years, 4,000 of them in commercial plumbing.
What does it cost to get licensed as a plumber in Washington?
The published fees in the table above run from $60 to $444.80 depending on the tier. 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 Washington?
You can be licensed as Residential Specialty Plumber after 6,000 hours of on-the-job training over at least 3 years; higher tiers take longer.
How much do plumbers make in Washington?
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Washington earned a median $81,030 a year in May 2025, $38.96 an hour. That median is 27% above the national figure of $63,800, and Washington ranks 8 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice plumbers make in Washington?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Washington under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, 103 apprentices started, at a median $19.40 an hour across the 103 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $34.34 an hour at completion (52 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What plumbers earn in Washington
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Washington earned a median $81,030 a year in May 2025, $38.96 an hour. 12,470 people held the job, 3.5 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 27% above the national figure of $63,800, and Washington ranks 8 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Washington
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23.79 | $49,490 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $28.86 | $60,030 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $38.96 | $81,030 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $51.64 | $107,420 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $68.20 | $141,860 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $42.69 | $88,800 | 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 Washington
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA employs the most plumbers of the 11 metro areas based in Washington that BLS publishes, 6,350, at a median $95,230 a year. The best-paid is Bellingham, WA at $102,750.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 6,350 | $95,230 | $51,930 | $153,500 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 1,040 | $82,960 | $57,760 | $102,290 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | 840 | $97,130 | $47,720 | $145,880 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 810 | $72,800 | $47,830 | $105,980 |
| Bellingham, WA | 540 | $102,750 | $49,620 | $144,540 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 310 | $80,030 | $47,400 | $131,510 |
| Yakima, WA | 240 | $60,900 | $45,980 | $101,380 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 230 | $77,540 | $48,820 | $119,100 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | 200 | $80,710 | $54,170 | $129,180 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | 180 | $74,200 | $46,930 | $99,550 |
| Walla Walla, WA | 80 | $70,390 | $44,730 | $122,990 |
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 Washington: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA and Lewiston, ID-WA.
Washington against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Alaska | $93,920 | 1,200 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $93,880 | 13,460 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $81,210 | 10,210 |
| 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 |
The complete ranking is on the Plumbers and pipefitters page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $81,030 | $63,800 |
| Median hourly | $38.96 | $30.67 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $49,490 | $44,150 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $141,860 | $108,420 |
| Employed | 12,470 | 465,840 |
Apprenticeships in Washington
U.S. Department of Labor records list 208 registered apprentices active in Washington 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, 103 apprentices started, at a median $19.40 an hour across the 103 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $34.34 an hour at completion (52 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 Washington
Electricians ($95,220) · HVAC technicians ($75,660) · Welders ($63,020) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($64,760) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($133,060) · Elevator installers ($137,180) · Ironworkers ($107,660) · Sheet metal workers ($98,550) · Carpenters ($74,190) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($83,190) · Auto service technicians ($57,270) · Diesel mechanics ($77,900) · Heavy equipment operators ($81,700) · Machinists ($66,160)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Washington.
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.