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How to become a plumber in Michigan

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) licenses plumbers in Michigan.

See your steps Find an apprenticeship

Your ladder

Dates if you start in Nov 2026 and work 40 hours a week.

You
Apprentice plumber registrationStart here
Journey plumber's license6,000 hours on the job
Master plumber's licenseThe next license up
Plumbing contractor licenseRun your own business

First: start as an apprentice.

Find an apprenticeship

Dates are estimates, worked out from the hours on the job each license requires and the hours a week you pick.

Your steps

Steps for: New to the trade. The dates follow your ladder. Change where you are, your start month or your hours a week at the top of the page.

1
Step 1, Start here
Start as an apprentice
An apprenticeship is a paid job with training. You work for an employer and you learn the trade on the job. Michigan has 37 registered plumber apprenticeship programs. The median wage is $19.25 an hour at the start and $38.06 an hour at the end.
The programs with the most active apprentices
See all 37 programs
Step 2,
Get your Apprentice plumber registration
Apply to LARA for the Apprentice plumber registration.
The Apprentice plumber registration costs $15.
You renew the Apprentice plumber registration every year. The renewal costs $15. You don't need continuing education to renew.
Step 3,
Complete 6,000 hours on the job
To qualify for the Journey plumber's license, you need 6,000 hours on the job.
Step 4,
Apply for your Journey plumber's license
Apply to LARA for the Journey plumber's license. You must pass the Journey plumber examination, a written portion and a hands on practical skills portion. PSI gives the written exam, and the Bureau of Construction Codes gives the hands-on practical skills exam.
Hours on the job
6,000
Exam
$100
The Journey plumber's license requires 6,000 hours on the job.
The Journey plumber's license costs $40.
You must pass the Journey plumber examination, a written portion and a hands on practical skills portion. The exam costs $100.
You renew the Journey plumber's license every year. The renewal costs $40.
You pay the $40 license fee when you apply. There is no separate application fee.
Michigan law sets the exam fee at $100. You pay PSI and not LARA. Ask LARA whether the hands-on exam costs extra.
You need to take a code update course within 1 year after Michigan adopts a new code. This doesn't happen every year.
The official wording of the requirement
Journey plumber's license“Has not less than 6,000 hours experience attained over a period of not less than 3 years as an actively registered plumbing apprentice in the practical installation of plumbing under the supervision of a licensed master or journey plumber.”
Step 5,
Renew your license
You renew the Journey plumber's license every year.

Other plumber licenses

Master plumber's license

Hours on the job: 4,000
Exam: $100

The Master plumber's license requires 4,000 hours on the job.

The Master plumber's license costs $300.

You must pass the Master plumber examination. The exam costs $100.

You renew the Master plumber's license every 3 years. The renewal costs $300.

You need these 4,000 hours after you get the Journey plumber's license, which requires 6,000 hours. The total is 10,000 hours.

If you also hold the Plumbing contractor license, you pay the contractor fee and you don't pay this fee.

Michigan law sets the exam fee at $100. You pay PSI and not LARA.

You need to take a code update course within 1 year after Michigan adopts a new code. This doesn't happen every year.

The official wording of the requirement

Master plumber's license“Must have 4,000 hours experience in work as a journey plumber over a period of not less than 2 years immediately preceding the date of the application. Any lapses in licensure in the 2 years immediately preceding the application will not meet requirements.”

To run a plumbing business

This is the license for running a plumbing business.

Plumbing contractor license

The Plumbing contractor license costs $300.

You must pass the Plumbing contractor examination. The exam costs $100.

You renew the Plumbing contractor license every 3 years. The renewal costs $300. You don't need continuing education to renew.

Michigan law sets the exam fee at $100. You pay PSI and not LARA.

The official wording of the requirement

Plumbing contractor license“The applicant must either hold a master plumber license or employ the holder of a master plumber license as his or her representative.”

Take the exam

License	Exam
Journey plumber's license	Journey plumber examination, a written portion and a hands on practical skills portionPSI gives the written exam, and the Bureau of Construction Codes gives the hands-on practical skills exam.
Master plumber's license	Master plumber examinationPSI gives the exam.
Plumbing contractor license	Plumbing contractor examinationPSI gives the exam.

You take the exam for the license you apply for.

What plumbers earn in Michigan

$38.56an hour

$80,190 a year, full time

Half of the plumbers on a payroll in Michigan earn more than $38.56 an hour, and half earn less. The federal wage survey puts the yearly figure at $80,190.

These figures cover everyone on a payroll as a plumber in Michigan, from apprentices to people with decades in the trade, so they aren't a starting wage. The survey counts 14,120 jobs. The figures don't include self-employed plumbers.

The yearly figure is for full-time work all year, which is 2,080 hours.

Median$22.38Lowest 10%$27.93Lowest 25%$45.86Highest 25%$49.73Highest 10%

Use a license from another state

If you hold a license from another state, ask LARA whether it recognizes your license.

Questions

How long does it take to become a plumber in Michigan?

If you work full time, you reach the 6,000 hours for the Journey plumber's license in about 3 years.

Can you become a plumber with no experience?

Yes. You can start as an apprentice and learn the trade on the job.

Michigan plumber apprenticeships

How much do most plumbers earn in Michigan?

Half of the plumbers on a payroll in Michigan earn between $27.93 and $45.86 an hour. These figures don't include overtime pay.

Can a plumber earn $100,000 a year in Michigan?

Yes. The highest-paid 10% of plumbers on a payroll in Michigan earn more than $103,430 a year before overtime.

Contact the licensing office

Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes (State Plumbing Board)michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/bcc/sections/licensing-section/exam-lic/plumbing-examination-licensing-registration-application-information

Check a licenseLook up a license

Words to know

Apprentice: Someone who learns the trade on the job, working under a licensed worker.
Master: A higher license level, for a worker with more years in the trade. It often lets you supervise others.
JATC: A Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, an apprenticeship program run together by a union and contractors.
Continuing education: Classes you take to keep your license.
PSI: A company that runs licensing exams for state and city offices.
Median: The middle figure. Half of the workers earn more, and half earn less.

Sources

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