- California requires a CSLB contractor license for plumbing jobs that need a permit, use workers, or total $1,000 or more.
- Four full years of journey-level, foreman, supervisor or contractor experience in the classification within the last ten years. Up to three years can be credited for training, apprenticeship or education.
- Plan for two exams: the trade exam and a business and law exam.
- Pay runs from about $22.76 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of plumbers to $63.03 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 8.4% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 2.3% projected nationally.
The path in California, step by step
California licenses plumbing work at the state level through the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB). These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Get four years of journey-level or higher experience in the C-36 plumbing trade within the last ten years.
- Submit the exam application to CSLB with the $450 application fee.
- Pass the Law and Business exam and the C-36 plumbing trade exam.
- Complete the asbestos open-book exam.
- File the $25,000 contractor bond and workers' compensation proof or exemption, and pay the initial license fee.
- Renew every two years.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: plumbing license in California.
Finding an apprenticeship in California
California appears on both of the Labor Department's lists: it has a recognized State Apprenticeship Agency, and the federal Office of Apprenticeship works there too. Apprenticeship.gov lists the California Apprenticeship Office as a 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 California
The license to aim for: C-36 Plumbing Contractor.
Trade exam. Yes. The C-36 Plumbing trade exam, plus the Law and Business exam.
Business exam. Yes. The Law and Business exam.
Keeping it. Every two years when active.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| C-36 Plumbing | Water supply, waste disposal, gas piping and appliances, water heaters and related safety devices. |
What the California license costs
The fees the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Original application (one classification) | $450 |
| Initial license fee, sole owner (covers two years) | $200 |
| Initial license fee, non-sole owner | $350 |
What plumbers earn in California
The median plumber in California earned $35.01 an hour in May 2025, 17th of 51 states, with 47,660 on payrolls. The national median was $30.67.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of plumbers in California earned under $28.36 an hour and a tenth under $22.76. At the top, a quarter earned over $48.17 and a tenth over $63.03.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.76 | $47,350 |
| 25th percentile | $28.36 | $58,980 |
| Median | $35.01 | $72,830 |
| 75th percentile | $48.17 | $100,200 |
| 90th percentile | $63.03 | $131,100 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: plumber salary in California.
Jobs ahead in California
California's labor market office projects jobs for plumbers growing from 46,500 in 2022 to 50,400 in 2032, a change of 8.4%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 4,520 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 8.4% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 2.3% projected nationally, ranking 26th 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 California
To contract on your own in California, the license is the C-36 Plumbing Contractor.
Insurance. Workers' compensation insurance, or an exemption form if you have no employees.
Bond. A $25,000 contractor bond. A separate $25,000 Bond of Qualifying Individual may be needed for an RME or RMO.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the California median of $35.01 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $132.07 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 California'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.
- CSLB C-36 Plumbing classification (checked 2026-10-08)
- CSLB before applying for a license (checked 2026-10-08)
- CSLB experience for the exam (checked 2026-10-08)
- CSLB issuing my license (checked 2026-10-08)
- CSLB fees (checked 2026-10-08)
- CSLB applicants page (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.