- Arizona requires a contractor license from the Registrar of Contractors for plumbing work, with separate residential, commercial and dual plumbing classifications.
- The qualifying party needs at least four years of practical or management trade experience, with at least two in the last ten years. Up to two years can be replaced by technical training.
- Plan for two exams: the trade exam and a business and law exam.
- Pay runs from about $21.94 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of plumbers to $48.13 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 14.2% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 2.3% projected nationally.
The path in Arizona, step by step
Arizona licenses plumbing work at the state level through the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Form your business entity with the Arizona Corporation Commission, or apply as a sole proprietor using your exact legal name.
- Pick your classification (R-37, C-37 or CR-37).
- Pass the Statutes and Rules exam (SRE) and the PSI trade exam, unless you qualify for a waiver.
- Submit background checks and government ID for all persons on the license.
- Get the contractor bond for your classification and volume.
- Apply through the ROC online portal and pay the fees.
- Renew every two years.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: plumbing license in Arizona.
Finding an apprenticeship in Arizona
Arizona runs Registered Apprenticeship through its own State Apprenticeship Agency, recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor to register and oversee programs there. Its staff are state employees, and it may use the federal paperwork or forms of its own. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Arizona State Apprenticeship Agency as the contact.
Either way, a registered program means paid work with a mentor, raises as you progress, classroom instruction and a credential recognized in every state. Search open spots in the Apprenticeship Job Finder.
Across the country. Most plumbers learn the trade in a 4 or 5 year apprenticeship, with about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training plus some classroom instruction each year.
License levels and exams in Arizona
The license to aim for: R-37 Plumbing (residential), C-37 Plumbing (commercial) or CR-37 Plumbing (dual).
Trade exam. Yes. A plumbing trade exam through PSI, $66, unless waived.
Business exam. Yes. The online AZ Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam (SRE) through Gmetrix, $61.
Keeping it. Every two years.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| R-37 Plumbing, Including Solar | Residential water and gas piping, water sprinkler fire protection, sewage treatment systems and solar. |
| C-37 Plumbing | Commercial plumbing within property lines. |
| CR-37 Plumbing | Dual license covering C-37 and R-37R residential plumbing. |
What the Arizona license costs
The fees the Arizona Registrar of Contractors lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Residential specialty (R) license: application, license and recovery fund total | $720 |
| Commercial specialty (C) license: application and license total | $580 |
| Dual specialty (CR) license: application, license and recovery fund total | $850 |
| Trade exam (PSI) | $66 |
| Statutes and Rules exam (Gmetrix) | $61 |
What plumbers earn in Arizona
The median plumber in Arizona earned $29.84 an hour in May 2025, 33rd of 51 states, with 11,810 on payrolls. The national median was $30.67.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of plumbers in Arizona earned under $23.84 an hour and a tenth under $21.94. At the top, a quarter earned over $38.27 and a tenth over $48.13.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $21.94 | $45,640 |
| 25th percentile | $23.84 | $49,590 |
| Median | $29.84 | $62,070 |
| 75th percentile | $38.27 | $79,610 |
| 90th percentile | $48.13 | $100,120 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: plumber salary in Arizona.
Jobs ahead in Arizona
Arizona's labor market office projects jobs for plumbers growing from 11,970 in 2022 to 13,670 in 2032, a change of 14.2%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 1,260 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 14.2% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 2.3% projected nationally, ranking 7th of the 50 states in the file.
These are the state's own long-term projections, published together on Projections Central for the occupation group plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters.
Starting your own plumber business in Arizona
To contract on your own in Arizona, the license is the R-37 Plumbing (residential), C-37 Plumbing (commercial) or CR-37 Plumbing (dual).
Insurance. You must attest that you comply with workers' compensation insurance laws.
Bond. Residential specialty: $4,250 if yearly volume is under $375,000, or $7,500 at $375,000 or more. Commercial specialty: from $2,500 for $150,000 or less, rising with volume. Dual licenses combine both amounts.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Arizona median of $29.84 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $122.99 per billable hour. Try your own in the plumber labor rate calculator.
The full checklist is in how to start a plumbing business. The free Koira Office plan gives you a website on a Koira address, estimates customers sign with a deposit, invoices with card payments and your day's jobs in one place, with no per-person fee. See the plans.
Where this comes from
The license steps, fees and rules are from the official pages below, read on the date shown. Pay is the BLS May 2025 state estimate, the job outlook is Arizona's own long-term projection, and the apprenticeship details are from the U.S. Department of Labor. A detail an official page did not confirm is left out.
- Arizona ROC license classifications (checked 2026-10-08)
- Arizona ROC licensing fees (checked 2026-10-08)
- Arizona ROC bond information (checked 2026-10-08)
- Arizona ROC applying for a license checklist (checked 2026-10-08)
- A.R.S. 32-1122, qualifications for license (checked 2026-10-08)
- A.R.S. 32-1121, persons not required to be licensed (checked 2026-10-08)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 47-2152
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2022 to 2032 (state labor market offices) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship System (Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agencies) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, State Offices (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Program (checked 2026-10-09)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (checked 2026-10-09)
Training, schools and certifications for every state: how to become a plumber.