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Plumber apprenticeships in Colorado

A plumber apprenticeship is a paid job with training, and you don't need experience to start one. Colorado has 29 registered plumber apprenticeship programs, with 1,460 apprentices in training at the latest federal count.

Looking for electrical work? See the 57 electrician programs

Median pay when you start

$22.00 an hour

About $880 a week at 40 hours. The middle half of starting wages is $20.00 to $24.87 an hour.

Median pay at the end

$35.68 an hour

About $1,430 a week at 40 hours.

From 601 recent starting wages in 20 programs, and 336 people who finished recently in 10 programs. The 2 figures come from different groups of apprentices, not the same people followed from start to finish.

How to get in

  1. Pick 2 or 3 programs near you

    Use the list below. Search each program's name with its city to find it.

    See the programs

  2. Ask each one how to apply

    Each program takes applications in its own way. Ask each program how and when it takes applications.

    The Denver Plumbers JATC takes applications at any time and holds interviews when it needs apprentices. The Western Slope plumbers' and pipefitters' committee accepts applications all year. RK Industries hires apprentices each summer, and its classes run from August to May.

    Denver Plumbers JATC apprenticeship page

Find a program near you

All 29 registered programs, grouped by who runs them, with the most apprentices first.

29 programs

Sort by

Union programs (JAC and JATC)

3 programs · 300 apprentices

A Joint Apprenticeship Committee (JAC or JATC) is the union and participating contractors working together.

Companies, schools and other programs

26 programs · 1,160 apprentices

Companies, schools and other sponsors run these programs.

Companies, schools and other programs
ProgramCityApprentices
Construction Industry Training Council of Colorado, Inc. (search the web)Also trains other tradesWheat RidgeDenver & the Front Range836 apprentices
RK Industries (search the web)Also trains other tradesAuroraDenver & the Front Range195 apprentices
Design Mechanical (search the web)LouisvilleDenver & the Front Range53 apprentices
Garvins Sewer Service (search the web)EnglewoodDenver & the Front Range12 apprentices
Alpha Mechanical Solutions LLC. (search the web)GunnisonWestern Slope & Mountains11 apprentices
Befort Plumbing & Heating, Inc. (search the web)EnglewoodDenver & the Front Range11 apprentices
Vision Air HVAC Inc (search the web)PuebloColorado Springs & Pueblo9 apprentices
Cookeys Mechanical, Inc (search the web)Grand JunctionWestern Slope & Mountains5 apprentices
Top Notch Plumbing LLC (search the web)GreeleyNorthern Colorado5 apprentices
Blue Mountain Mechanical (search the web)ParkerDenver & the Front Range4 apprentices
UMC, Inc. (search the web)LakewoodDenver & the Front Range4 apprentices
Bernie's Plumbing and Heating, Co. (search the web)BoulderDenver & the Front Range3 apprentices
Foster Plumbing (search the web)DenverDenver & the Front Range3 apprentices
Independent Plumbing Solutions, Inc. (search the web)Fort CollinsNorthern Colorado3 apprentices
Bill's Plumbing and Drain Service (search the web)Colorado SpringsColorado Springs & Pueblo2 apprentices
C and B Plumbing, Inc. Apprenticeship Program (search the web)Fort CollinsNorthern Colorado1 apprentices
Dairy Specialists (search the web)EvansNorthern Colorado1 apprentices
Flow Right Plumbing. Heating and Irrigation (search the web)PuebloColorado Springs & Pueblo1 apprentices
Viking Co. & Design (search the web)KarvalEverywhere else1 apprentices
Blueprint Trade Solutions LLC (search the web)GreeleyNorthern Colorado0 apprentices
City and County of Denver/Denver International Airport (search the web)Also trains other tradesDenverDenver & the Front Range0 apprentices
Denver Public Schools (search the web)DenverDenver & the Front Range0 apprentices
Homeland Mechanical LLC (search the web)Colorado SpringsColorado Springs & Pueblo0 apprentices
Independent Plumbing Solutions, Inc. Multi-Employer Program (search the web)Fort CollinsNorthern Colorado0 apprentices
Mr. Rooter Plumbing (search the web)FrederickDenver & the Front Range0 apprentices
SoCo Trades Apprenticeship Programs (search the web)Colorado SpringsColorado Springs & Pueblo0 apprentices

Also trains other trades: these 3 sponsors train more than one trade, so their count includes apprentices in their other trades. A count of 0 means the federal data recorded no apprentices in training, and it doesn't always mean the program has closed.

How one program works: Denver Plumbers JATC

Each program runs in its own way. This is how one of them takes apprentices and trains them, as its own pages describe it.

Denver Plumbers JATC

Aurora · Denver & the Front Range · 162 apprentices

  1. 1

    Apply online

    Once you receive the application on the online portal, send it within 30 days. Upload every document within 31 days after you send the application.

  2. 2

    Take the assessment test and the math exam

    After you send your application, the committee emails you links to the assessment test, the math exam and the document upload portal. The committee's contractors require a drug test before you start work and random drug tests after.

  3. 3

    Qualify for the eligibility pool

    The committee scores applicants on a 100-point scale, and you need 55 points or more to enter the eligibility pool. You stay in the pool for 2 years or until the committee selects you. The number of apprentices the committee selects depends on how many the industry needs.

  4. 4

    Work and attend classes

    The apprenticeship takes 5 years and 8,500 to 10,000 hours on the job, with at least 219 hours of class a year. Your first year is probationary, with 1,700 to 2,000 hours on the job. From year 4, you can choose courses that lead to an associate degree.

Denver Plumbers JATC apprenticeship page Denver Plumbers JATC applicant FAQ Denver Plumbers JATC application terms page

More from the programs

Of the journeyman rate to start at the Denver Plumbers JATC

50%

The Denver Plumbers JATC says jobs start at 50% of the journeyman rate. You get scheduled raises as you complete classroom hours and document your training on the job.

An hour to start at RK Industries, a company program

$20 to $21

RK Industries is a mechanical contractor in Denver that runs its own registered program, and you join by being hired. The starting wage is $20 to $21 an hour with up to 2 merit raises a year, and apprentices who finish earn $25 to $34 an hour. RK Industries pays 100% of the costs for apprentices with good grades and attendance.

You don't need experience to apply. The largest sponsor in Colorado is CITC of Colorado, a training council, and it helps you find an employer to sponsor your apprenticeship.

At CITC of Colorado, you train on the job with a contractor by day and attend class 1 night a week for 4 years. You complete 144 classroom hours a year and 8,000 hours of work. CITC of Colorado says the company that employs you pays most of your tuition.

As an apprentice in Colorado, you must be registered with the Colorado State Plumbing Board. Your employer registers you within 30 days of your hire date, the registration fee is $30, and you carry your registration card while you work. You need to work as a registered apprentice to qualify for a license, but you don't need to be in a formal apprenticeship program.

To apply to the Denver Plumbers JATC, you must be at least 18 years old with a diploma or GED and a current driver's license. You can apply once a year. You upload these documents with your application.

  • your transcripts
  • your diploma, or your GED with scores
  • proof of birth
  • your discharge records, if you served in the military

RK Industries apprenticeship program page CITC of Colorado apprenticeships page Colorado State Plumbing Board apprentice information page

Your license in Colorado

To work as a plumber in Colorado, you need your own license from the Colorado State Plumbing Board, whoever you work for. The licenses for an individual are the residential plumber license, the journeyworker plumber license and the master plumber license.

See how plumber licensing works in Colorado

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Labor national apprenticeship data, extract of August 17, 2026: the programs, the apprentice counts, the 2 median wages and the range of starting wages
  2. Denver Plumbers JATC apprenticeship, training and application pages and its posted applicant FAQ: the 50% starting rate, the 30-day rule, the 55-point minimum and the 5-year program
  3. Western Slope plumbers' and pipefitters' committee pages: the year-round applications
  4. CITC of Colorado apprenticeship pages: the employer sponsorship, the hours and the tuition
  5. RK Industries apprenticeship program page: the starting wage, the summer hiring and the costs RK Industries pays
  6. Colorado State Plumbing Board apprentice, application and reporting pages, dpo.colorado.gov, the apprenticeship information guide dated October 2025, and the plumbing licensing guide: the apprentice registration rules and the $30 fee

The U.S. Department of Labor data has 10 Colorado filings whose registration numbers name a different state. No figure counts those filings. Every bar uses the same scale.

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