How to become a plumber in Georgia

The path in Georgia, step by step

Georgia licenses plumbing work at the state level through the Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers. These are the steps it lays out, in order.

1. Get at least one year of plumbing experience and your Journeyman Plumber license.
2. Work at least two years as a licensed journeyman, for five years of plumbing experience in total.
3. Apply in the GOALS portal with three plumber references, a background check and the fee.
4. Once approved, register with PSI and pass the exam with a score of at least 70.
5. Renew online by November 30 of each even numbered year with 8 hours of continuing education.

The full license guide, with every fee and form: plumbing license in Georgia.

Finding an apprenticeship in Georgia

Georgia has no recognized State Apprenticeship Agency, so the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers and oversees programs there through a state field office. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Georgia Apprenticeship Office 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 Georgia

The license to aim for: Master Plumber, Class II (unrestricted) or Class I (restricted).

Trade exam. Yes. After the board approves you, you take the exam through PSI and need a score of at least 70. If you fail twice, you must finish a board approved review course before a third try.

Keeping it. Every two years. Renew online by November 30 of even numbered years, with a late period from December 1 to 31. You need 4 hours of continuing education each year, 8 hours per renewal.

Coming from another state. Georgia has no reciprocity with any other state for Master or Journeyman Plumbers.

What plumbers earn in Georgia

The median plumber in Georgia earned $27.50 an hour in May 2025, 43rd of 51 states, with 8,930 on payrolls. The national median was $30.67.

At the bottom of the range, a quarter of plumbers in Georgia earned under $21.70 an hour and a tenth under $18.12. At the top, a quarter earned over $33.00 and a tenth over $38.82.

Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: plumber salary in Georgia.

Jobs ahead in Georgia

Georgia's labor market office projects jobs for plumbers growing from 8,010 in 2022 to 9,000 in 2032, a change of 12.4%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 820 openings a year.

Jobs are projected to grow 12.4% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 2.3% projected nationally, ranking 11th 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 Georgia

To contract on your own in Georgia, the license is the Master Plumber, Class II (unrestricted) or Class I (restricted).

Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Georgia median of $27.50 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $118.88 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.