Education · 1 of 4
The path
A paid apprenticeship, not a degree. Roughly 80% on the job and 20% in a classroom.
- 1
High school diploma or equivalent
Grade 12
Math, and any shop or construction course you can take. A driver's license matters as much as your transcript here.
- 2
Get taken on
Weeks to months
Apply to a United Association local, a plumbing contractor, or a state-registered program. Apprenticeship.gov lists open positions by trade and zip code. This is the hardest step, not the exam.
- 3
Register as an apprentice
Days
In most states you register with the plumbing board before you touch a pipe. Texas, for example, requires an apprentice registration and fingerprints from every license holder.
- 4
Work and study
4 to 5 years
The United Association says its apprenticeship typically lasts five years. You work full time on pay and attend classes in the evenings or in blocks.
- 5
Journeyman license
After your hours
Log the required hours, then pass your state's journeyman examination on the plumbing code and practice. Several years later you can sit the master examination.