How to become a plumber in Ohio

To work as a plumber in Ohio, you may need a license from the city or county where you work. Ohio doesn't issue a statewide license to individual plumbers, and only some cities and counties license them.

See your steps Find an apprenticeship

Your license

I'll work in

To work as a plumber, the City of Middletown issues the Journeyman Plumber license.

Exam: Journeyman Plumber License Examination, $50
License: Middletown doesn't list the fee
Renewal: Every year

Go to the City of Middletown

To run a business, you need the Plumbing Contractor license from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board. What the business needs

Each city or county sets its own rules.

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. Ohio has 35 registered plumber apprenticeship programs. The median wage is $17.60 an hour at the start and $27.16 an hour at the end.
The programs with the most active apprentices
See all 35 programs
Step 2,
Find the office that licenses plumbers where you will work
Only some cities and counties license plumbers, and each one sets its own rules. Ask the building department in the city or county where you will work.
Step 3,
Check what that license requires
Each office sets the experience you need and the exam you must pass.
Journeyman Plumber
City of Middletown
The City of Middletown Division of Building Inspection issues the Journeyman Plumber license.
You must pass the Journeyman Plumber License Examination. The exam costs $50.
Ask the City of Middletown what the Journeyman Plumber license costs.
You renew the Journeyman Plumber license every year.
The official wording of the requirement
Journeyman Plumber (City of Middletown)“Applicants for the Journeyman Plumber Exam are required to have not less than 3 years experience, which must have occurred within the last 5 years.”
Step 4,
Apply to that office
Apply to the office that issues the license, and pay its fees when you apply.

To run a plumbing business

This is the license for running a plumbing business.

Plumbing Contractor

Exam: $69
Fee: $25

The application fee is $25. The Plumbing Contractor license costs $25.

You must pass the Ohio Plumbing Contractor Examination. The exam costs $69.

The renewal for the Plumbing Contractor license depends on who holds it.

Every year: $60For any license holder. You need 10 hours of continuing education for each renewal.
Every year: $60For licensees who are members of the compliant contractor program. You need 8 hours of continuing education for each renewal.
Every 3 years: $180For licensees who are members of the compliant contractor program. You need 24 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

The official wording of the requirement

Plumbing Contractor“Either have been a tradesperson in the type of licensed trade for which the application is filed for not less than five (5) years immediately prior to the date the application is filed”

Take the exam

License	Exam
Plumbing Contractor	Ohio Plumbing Contractor ExaminationPSI Services LLC gives the exam.
Journeyman Plumber (City of Middletown)	Journeyman Plumber License ExaminationThe City of Middletown Division of Building Inspection gives the exam.

You take the exam for the license you apply for.

What plumbers earn in Ohio

$30.45an hour

$63,330 a year, full time

Half of the plumbers on a payroll in Ohio earn more than $30.45 an hour, and half earn less. The federal wage survey puts the yearly figure at $63,330.

These figures cover everyone on a payroll as a plumber in Ohio, from apprentices to people with decades in the trade, so they aren't a starting wage. The survey counts 16,390 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$21.86Lowest 10%$24.06Lowest 25%$40.51Highest 25%$48.75Highest 10%

Use a license from another state

If you hold a license from one of the states listed for a license, you may be able to use your license to qualify in Ohio.

OCILB recognizes a license from some states for the Plumbing Contractor license. If your state is listed, you may be able to use your license to qualify in Ohio.

Ask OCILB which requirements your license meets.

Ohio license	Recognized from
Plumbing Contractor license	Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia

Questions

Can you become a plumber with no experience?

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

Ohio plumber apprenticeships

How much do most plumbers earn in Ohio?

Half of the plumbers on a payroll in Ohio earn between $24.06 and $40.51 an hour. These figures don't include overtime pay.

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

Yes. The highest-paid 10% of plumbers on a payroll in Ohio earn more than $101,410 a year before overtime.

Can you take the classroom hours online?

OCILB says this about the Plumbing Contractor license: "Unlicensed Contractor applying for testing: You may take 40 hours of live (in person) or virtual (webinar) non-duplicated code courses in one year for the trade applying for."

Contact the licensing office

Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Boardcom.ohio.gov/divisions-and-programs/industrial-compliance/boards/ohio-construction-industry-licensing-board/contractors-and-contracting-companies

City of Middletown Division of Building Inspectioncityofmiddletown.org/178/Applications-Fees

Check a licenseLook up a business license

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.
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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