How to Become a Plumber: From Apprentice to Master Plumber

Quick answer: How do you become a plumber? Most plumbers learn the trade in a paid apprenticeship that lasts 4 or 5 years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Then you pass a state exam to become a journeyman plumber, and after more experience and another exam, you can earn a master plumber license.

In this video, master plumber Roger Wakefield shares his secrets to passing the plumbing exam, for apprentice plumbers and anyone getting into plumbing.

Here is how to become a plumber, one rung at a time: apprentice, journeyman, then master. Each rung is a registration or a license, and each one lets you do more of the work on your own.

What does it take to become a plumber?

Less than most people think to get started. The BLS says a high school diploma or equivalent is typically required, and most plumbers learn the trade on the job, with a paycheck, instead of in a college classroom.

Here is what the BLS lists for getting in:

• Education: a high school diploma or equivalent. Classes at a vocational-technical school, a school that teaches job skills, can help, but they are optional.
• Training: an apprenticeship that usually lasts 4 or 5 years.
• Paid hours: apprentices typically get 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training each year, plus some technical instruction.
• What the classes cover: safety, local plumbing codes and regulations, and blueprint reading. The plumbing code is the rulebook for how plumbing has to be installed, and a blueprint is the drawing of the building.
• A driver’s license: most employers require one.

The BLS also names the qualities that make a good plumber: communication skills, dexterity (careful, precise hands, often in tight spaces), mechanical skills, physical strength and troubleshooting skills, which means figuring out what is wrong and why. You can read it all on the BLS plumbers page.

No college degree is on that list. That idea is the heart of Roger’s keynote, The Trades Are Plan A. Event planners can book Roger to speak.

What is a plumbing apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship is a job where you learn the trade while you get paid. An apprentice works under a licensed plumber, learns how the work is done, and builds up the hours a state wants to see before you can sit for a license exam.

Texas is a good example of how it works. The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) is the state agency that licenses and regulates the plumbing trade, and it says it has protected the health and safety of Texans since 1947. According to the TSBPE apprentice page:

• You must be at least 16 years old to register as a Plumber’s Apprentice.
• Registration costs $15.
• You must register before your hours count. Hours you work before you register do not count toward the license exams.
• You work under direct supervision, which means a licensed plumber is on the job site with you at all times you are doing plumbing work.
• If no licensed plumber is there, an apprentice may only do manual tasks like digging trenches.

Other states run it their own way, so check with your own state’s plumbing board before you start counting hours.

What is a journeyman plumber?

A journeyman plumber is the middle rung. The BLS says journey-level plumbers are qualified to do the work on their own, and getting there means finishing an apprenticeship and passing the licensing exam.

In Texas, the TSBPE journeyman page says you can take the Journeyman Plumber exam when you have at least 8,000 hours of experience working in the plumbing trade and have finished a 48-hour training course approved by the TSBPE. Being enrolled in, or finishing, a training program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Apprenticeship can stand in for that course.

You also have to be a registered apprentice or a licensed Tradesman Plumber-Limited in Texas, or hold a journeyman or master license from another state. A Texas journeyman can install, change, repair, service or renovate plumbing under the supervision of a Responsible Master Plumber, and can directly supervise apprentices on all job sites.

What is a Tradesman Plumber-Limited in Texas?

Texas also has a license below journeyman. The TSBPE says a Tradesman Plumber-Limited needs at least 4,000 hours of experience and a 24-hour approved training course. A tradesman can work on plumbing for one- and two-family dwellings, which means houses and duplexes, under the supervision of a Responsible Master Plumber.

On any other kind of building, a tradesman works only under the direct supervision of a licensed journeyman or master plumber.

How do you become a master plumber?

The master plumber license is the top of the ladder. The BLS says plumbers with several years of plumbing experience who pass another exam earn master status.

In Texas, the TSBPE master plumber page says you can take the Master Plumber exam once you have held a journeyman license for at least two years, or for at least one year if you have also finished a training program approved by the DOL Office of Apprenticeship.

Texas adds one more title on top: the Responsible Master Plumber (RMP). The TSBPE says an RMP must hold a Texas Master Plumber license, be in good standing with the board and carry at least $300,000 of commercial liability insurance, which protects the business if its work hurts someone or damages property. The RMP is responsible for the general supervision and management of the plumbing work done under contracts secured under that license, including getting the permits and requesting the inspections.

Roger Wakefield spent decades in the field as a working plumber before becoming a master plumber, and today he holds a master plumber license with 45 years in the trade. You can read more of his story on his About page.

How does plumbing licensing work in other states?

Every state sets its own rules. The BLS says most states and some localities require plumbers to be licensed, and they often require 2 to 5 years of experience and a passed exam before a plumber can work on their own.

That is why your first call goes to your own state’s plumbing board. Ask them:

• Do I have to register as an apprentice before my hours count?
• How many hours of experience do I need before each exam?
• What training course or classroom hours are required?
• Do I need to send in fingerprints? Texas requires them for all license types, one time only.
• Does my city or county have its own license rules on top of the state’s?

How long does it take to become a plumber?

Plan on years, not months. The BLS puts most apprenticeships at 4 or 5 years. In Texas, the 8,000 hours needed for the journeyman exam works out to about four years at the 2,000 paid hours a year the BLS says apprentices typically get.

From there, Texas asks for at least two years as a journeyman, or one year plus a DOL Office of Apprenticeship program, before the master exam. The good news is that an apprentice earns a paycheck while learning, so you are not piling up debt while you climb.

How much do plumbers make along the way?

The BLS put the median pay for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters at $63,800 a year in May 2025. Median means the middle: half made more than that, and half made less. The BLS does not break that number out by license level.

For the full picture, read Roger’s guide to how much plumbers make, including what pushes some plumbers far ahead of the median.

How do you start becoming a plumber this week?

You do not need to have it all figured out. You need to take the first step. Most people who make it follow the same order:

1. Take the free TradesOnRamp quiz. It takes under 10 minutes and matches you to the skilled trade that fits you best, out of 30 skilled trades.
2. Look up your state’s plumbing board and read its apprentice rules. In Texas, that is the TSBPE.
3. Call local plumbing companies and ask if they hire apprentices.
4. Register as an apprentice before you start counting hours, if your state requires it.
5. Learn the code and the math while you work. Roger’s guide to studying for the plumbing exam walks through the math questions that trip people up.
6. Finish your hours and your training course, pass the journeyman exam, and keep going toward your master license.

What should new plumbers know before they go out on their own?

A license lets you do the work. Running a business is a different skill. Roger’s post on the number one legal mistake new plumbers make explains why running a plumbing business as a sole proprietor, with no line between you and the business, can put your house at risk.

Texas journeymen and masters who meet the requirements can also add endorsements, which are extra specialties on a license: Medical Gas Piping Installation, Multipurpose Residential Fire Protection Sprinkler Specialist and Water Supply Protection Specialist. Roger’s online training programs are built for apprentices, foremen and business owners who want to move up in the trades.

Frequently asked questions about how to become a plumber

These are the questions people ask most about becoming a plumber.

How long does it take to become a plumber?

Most apprenticeships last 4 or 5 years, according to the BLS. Becoming a master plumber takes more years of experience and another exam.

Do you need a license to be a plumber?

In most places, yes. The BLS says most states and some localities require plumbers to be licensed, so check with your own state’s plumbing board.

How old do you have to be to start a plumbing apprenticeship in Texas?

At least 16, according to the TSBPE. You register as a Plumber’s Apprentice before any of your hours count.

Do you need college to become a plumber?

No. The BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education to start, and the training happens in a paid apprenticeship.

What is the difference between a journeyman and a master plumber?

A journeyman has finished the training hours and passed the state exam, so they can do the work on their own. A master plumber has more years of experience and has passed another exam. In Texas, only a master plumber can become a Responsible Master Plumber.

Who is Roger Wakefield?

Roger Wakefield is a Texas Master Plumber with 45 years in the trade, a blue-collar keynote speaker and one of the most watched trades educators in the world, with 1.7 million followers and more than 160 million YouTube views.

About Roger Wakefield

Roger Wakefield has spent 45 years in plumbing. Today he teaches the trades to 1.7 million followers across social media, on his YouTube channel and on The Trade Talks podcast. Read Roger’s story, or watch his videos on YouTube.