Home
Plumber
Wisconsin

How to become a plumber in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) licenses plumbers in Wisconsin.

See your steps Find an apprenticeship

Your ladder

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

You
Plumbing ApprenticeStart here
Journeyman Plumber7,428 hours on the job
Master PlumberRun 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. Wisconsin has 21 registered plumber apprenticeship programs. The median wage is $20.00 an hour at the start and $38.41 an hour at the end.
The programs with the most active apprentices
See all 21 programs
Step 2,
Get your Plumbing Apprentice license
Apply to DSPS for the Plumbing Apprentice license.
Hours on the job
7,428
Fee
$15
The apprenticeship for the Plumbing Apprentice license takes 7,428 hours on the job and 572 classroom hours.
What this license lets you do: “A person who holds a registration as a plumbing apprentice may install or modify plumbing under the general supervision of a person who is a licensed master plumber.”
How to apply: “Go to license.wi.gov to apply for a credential or license.”
The application fee is $15. The Plumbing Apprentice license costs $15.
You don't need to take an exam for the Plumbing Apprentice license.
You renew the Plumbing Apprentice license every year. The renewal costs $15. You don't need continuing education to renew.
These are the hours of the plumbing apprenticeship, published by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. You can take the journeyman plumber exam only after you complete the apprenticeship.
These are the paid classroom hours of the same apprenticeship. Some sponsors add more classroom hours.
The official wording of the requirement
Plumbing Apprentice“A person applying for plumbing apprentice registration to install plumbing shall be entered into a plumbing apprentice contract recognized under chapter 106, Statutes”
Step 3,
Complete 7,428 hours on the job
To qualify for the Journeyman Plumber license, you need 7,428 hours on the job and 572 classroom hours.
Step 4,
Apply for your Journeyman Plumber license
Apply to DSPS for the Journeyman Plumber license. You must pass the journeyman plumber license examination. The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) gives the exam at its own exam sites. Pearson VUE gives it on computer at Pearson test centers in Wisconsin.
Hours on the job
7,428
Exam
$40
Fee
$10
The Journeyman Plumber license requires 7,428 hours on the job. You also need 572 classroom hours.
What this license lets you do: “The plumbing activities that may be undertaken by a person who holds a license as a journeyman plumber shall be performed under the general supervision of a person who holds a master plumber license, master plumber-restricted license, or utility contractor license.”
How to apply: “Go to license.wi.gov to apply for a credential or license.”
About the exam: “This is a two part exam. The exam is open book, and the passing score is 70%. Journeyman Plumber - Part 1: Exam Length (hrs) 3, Exam Questions 87, Candidate Fee to Pearson $90, Candidate Fee to DSPS $20. Journeyman Plumber - Part 2: Exam Length (hrs) 3, Exam Questions 120, Candidate Fee to Pearson $90, Candidate Fee to DSPS $20.”
The application fee is $10. The Journeyman Plumber license costs $180.
You must pass the journeyman plumber license examination. The exam costs $40.
You renew the Journeyman Plumber license every 4 years. The renewal costs $180. You need 24 hours of continuing education for each renewal.
These are the hours of the plumbing apprenticeship, published by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. You can take the journeyman plumber exam only after you complete the apprenticeship.
These are the paid classroom hours of the same apprenticeship. Some sponsors add more classroom hours.
This is $20 to DSPS for each of the exam's 2 parts. If you take the exam at Pearson VUE, Pearson charges $90 a part, and DSPS hasn't said whether you pay its fee as well.
The official wording of the requirement
Journeyman Plumber“A person applying for a Journeyman Plumber license examination shall have completed a plumbing apprenticeship program recognized under Wisconsin Statute chapter 106 or the Federal Department of Labor”
Step 5,
Renew your license
You renew the Journeyman Plumber license every 4 years.

To run a plumbing business

This is the license for running a plumbing business.

Master Plumber

Hours on the job: 3,000
Exam: $60
Fee: $20

The Master Plumber license requires 3,000 hours on the job.

What this license lets you do: “A person who as a licensed master plumber is responsible for the installation or modification of plumbing shall utilize the appropriately licensed or registered persons to install or modify plumbing.”

How to apply: “Go to license.wi.gov to apply for a credential or license.”

About the exam: “This is a two part exam. The exam is open book, and the passing score is 70%. Master Plumber - Part 1: Exam Length (hrs) 4, Exam Questions 110, Candidate Fee to Pearson $95, Candidate Fee to DSPS $30. Master Plumber - Part 2: Exam Length (hrs) 4, Exam Questions 132, Candidate Fee to Pearson $95, Candidate Fee to DSPS $30.”

The application fee is $20. The Master Plumber license costs $500.

You must pass the master plumber license examination. The exam costs $60.

You renew the Master Plumber license every 4 years. The renewal costs $500. You need 24 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

You need at least 1,000 hours a year for at least 3 years as a licensed Wisconsin journeyman plumber, so 3,000 hours in all. An approved engineering degree also qualifies you.

This is $30 to DSPS for each of the exam's 2 parts. If you take the exam at Pearson VUE, Pearson charges $95 a part, and DSPS hasn't said whether you pay its fee as well.

The official wording of the requirement

Master Plumber“Must have completed one of the following: At least 1,000 hours of plumbing related work experience per year for at least 3 years as a Wisconsin licensed journeyman plumber; or Graduated from an accredited engineering university, or college, with a degree in civil engineering, mechanical engineering or other approved engineering curriculum related to plumbing.”

Take the exam

License	Exam
Journeyman Plumber	journeyman plumber license examinationThe Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) gives the exam at its own exam sites. Pearson VUE gives it on computer at Pearson test centers in Wisconsin.
Master Plumber	master plumber license examinationThe Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) gives the exam at its own exam sites. Pearson VUE gives it on computer at Pearson test centers in Wisconsin.

You take the exam for the license you apply for.

What plumbers earn in Wisconsin

$39.04an hour

$81,210 a year, full time

Half of the plumbers on a payroll in Wisconsin earn more than $39.04 an hour, and half earn less. The federal wage survey puts the yearly figure at $81,210.

These figures cover everyone on a payroll as a plumber in Wisconsin, from apprentices to people with decades in the trade, so they aren't a starting wage. The survey counts 10,210 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$24.05Lowest 10%$29.53Lowest 25%$49.79Highest 25%$57.72Highest 10%

Use a license from another state

If you completed a 5-year plumbing apprenticeship in another state, you can take the Wisconsin Journeyman Plumber exam. The apprenticeship must include at least 576 hours of classes. Wisconsin or the U.S. Department of Labor must recognize it. If you also passed a journeyman plumber exam in another state, you can get the license without the Wisconsin exam. You must have worked at least 5 years on that license with no discipline.

If you hold a license from another state, ask DSPS 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.

Wisconsin plumber apprenticeships

How much do most plumbers earn in Wisconsin?

Half of the plumbers on a payroll in Wisconsin earn between $29.53 and $49.79 an hour. These figures don't include overtime pay.

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

Yes. The highest-paid 10% of plumbers on a payroll in Wisconsin earn more than $120,070 a year before overtime.

Contact the licensing office

Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Servicesdsps.wi.gov/a-z-professions-list/plumbing-apprentice

Check a licenseLook up a 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.
Master: A higher license level, for a worker with more years in the trade. It often lets you supervise others.
Continuing education: Classes you take to keep your license.
Pearson VUE: A company that runs licensing exams at its own test centers.
Median: The middle figure. Half of the workers earn more, and half earn less.

Sources

Get an email when it matters

Pick what you want to hear about. You get one short email when it happens.

Alerts for: Plumber in Wisconsin