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How to become a plumber in New Jersey

To work as a plumber in New Jersey, you work under the supervision of a master plumber licensed by the New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers. The State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers also registers journeyman plumbers, so ask it whether you need the Journeyman Plumber Registration.

See your steps Find an apprenticeship

Your ladder

You
ApprenticeStart here
Master PlumberRun your own business

First: start as an apprentice.

Find an apprenticeship

Your steps

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. New Jersey has 547 registered plumber apprenticeship programs. The median wage is $19.00 an hour at the start and $30.00 an hour at the end.
The programs with the most active apprentices
See all 547 programs
Step 2,
Get the experience you need
The State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers sets the experience you need for the Journeyman Plumber Registration.
Journeyman Plumber Registration
What this license lets you do: “Plumbing shall only be performed by a master plumber, an authorized plumbing contractor, or by employees whose remuneration is reported on a Form W-2 to the Internal Revenue Service and who work under the supervision of a master plumber as permitted by N.J.S.A. 45:14C-1 et seq., and N.J.A.C. 13:32-3.3(a)3.”
How to apply: “Application for Registration as a Journeyman Plumber (Online Application)”
Ask the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers what the Journeyman Plumber Registration costs.
The official wording of the requirement
Journeyman Plumber Registration“"Journeyman plumber" means an individual who works under the supervision of a licensed master plumber or supervisory journeyman plumber and who has completed either four years in an apprenticeship program approved by the United States Department of Labor or has been awarded a bachelor's degree in mechanical, plumbing, or sanitary engineering from a college or university accredited by a regional accreditation agency recognized by the Council on Post-Secondary Accreditation or the United States Department of Education.”
Step 3,
Apply for your Journeyman Plumber Registration
Apply to the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers for the Journeyman Plumber Registration.

To run a plumbing business

This is the license for running a plumbing business.

Master Plumber

Exam: $240
Fee: $100

How to apply: “Take the Examination to Become a Licensed Master Plumber (Online Application)”

About the exam: “If you are taking an examination for the first time, you will be required to take all three examinations on the same day. ... Master Plumber $87 ... Business and Law $47 ... Master Plumber Practical $106 ... Master Plumber: 100 questions, 70% (70 correct), 195 Minutes; This examination is OPEN BOOK. ... Business and Law: 50 questions, 70% (35 correct), 130 Minutes; OPEN BOOK. ... Master Plumber Practical: 25 questions, 70% (18 correct), 130 Minutes; This examination is closed book.”

The application fee is $100.

You must pass the Master Plumber Licensure Examination: Master Plumber, Master Plumber Practical, and Business and Law examinations. The exam costs $240.

You renew the Master Plumber license every 2 years. The renewal costs $160. You need 5 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

You pay PSI for 3 exams: $87 for the Master Plumber exam, $47 for the Business and Law exam and $106 for the Master Plumber Practical exam. The first time, you take all 3 on the same day.

The official wording of the requirement

Master Plumber“To gain experience to qualify for an examination, an applicant who is at least 21 years of age shall submit proof to the Board that the applicant has either: Completed a four-year apprenticeship program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, which includes education in propane services that meets the education requirements, and has completed after the end of the apprenticeship, one year of practical hands-on experience as a journeyman plumber in New Jersey, consisting of at least 1,200 hours; Or has been awarded a bachelor's degree in mechanical, plumbing or sanitary engineering ... and has completed, after completion of the bachelor's degree, one year of practical hands-on experience as a journeyman plumber in New Jersey, consisting of 1,200 hours.”

Take the exam

License	Exam
Master Plumber	Master Plumber Licensure Examination: Master Plumber, Master Plumber Practical, and Business and Law examinationsPSI gives the exam.

You take this exam for the Master Plumber license.

What plumbers earn in New Jersey

$37.61an hour

$78,240 a year, full time

Half of the plumbers on a payroll in New Jersey earn more than $37.61 an hour, and half earn less. The federal wage survey puts the yearly figure at $78,240.

These figures cover everyone on a payroll as a plumber in New Jersey, from apprentices to people with decades in the trade, so they aren't a starting wage. The survey counts 8,750 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$23.42Lowest 10%$29.72Lowest 25%$51.36Highest 25%$65.73Highest 10%

Use a license from another state

If you hold a master plumber license from another state, you can apply to the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers by reciprocity. Your state's licensing rules must be equal to or close to New Jersey's. Your state must also accept New Jersey licenses. The State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers has a list of states it has reviewed. None of them has been granted reciprocity.

If you hold a license from another state, ask the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers whether it recognizes your license.

Questions

Can you become a plumber with no experience?

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

New Jersey plumber apprenticeships

How much do most plumbers earn in New Jersey?

Half of the plumbers on a payroll in New Jersey earn between $29.72 and $51.36 an hour. These figures don't include overtime pay.

Can a plumber earn $100,000 a year in New Jersey?

Yes. The highest-paid 10% of plumbers on a payroll in New Jersey earn more than $136,710 a year before overtime.

Contact the licensing office

State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbersnjconsumeraffairs.gov/plu/Pages/default.aspx

Words to know

Apprentice: Someone who learns the trade on the job, working under a licensed worker.
Journeyman: The license level after apprentice. Some states write journeyperson, journeyworker or journey level.
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.
Reciprocity: An agreement that lets you use a license from one state to get a license in another.
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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