How to become a plumber in Illinois

The path in Illinois, step by step

Illinois licenses plumbing work at the state level through the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Plumbing Program. These are the steps it lays out, in order.

1. Get an apprentice plumber license with a sponsoring Illinois licensed plumber or approved program.
2. Work at least 4 years as a licensed apprentice and finish an approved course.
3. Send the Application for Examination at least 30 days before the exam date and pass the state exam.
4. Get liability and workers' compensation insurance and a $20,000 bond or letter of credit.
5. Register your plumbing contractor business with IDPH and renew every year.

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

Finding an apprenticeship in Illinois

Illinois 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 Illinois 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 Illinois

The license to aim for: Illinois plumber license, plus plumbing contractor registration for your business.

Trade exam. Illinois state plumbing licensing exam. Apply at least 30 days before the exam date.

Keeping it. Plumber licenses renew by April 30 each year with 4 hours of continuing education. Contractor registrations expire the last day of September each year.

Coming from another state. There is a reciprocity application for plumbers licensed by the City of Chicago. Check with the department about other states.

What plumbers earn in Illinois

The median plumber in Illinois earned $48.05 an hour in May 2025, 2nd of 51 states, with 16,750 on payrolls. The national median was $30.67.

At the bottom of the range, a quarter of plumbers in Illinois earned under $34.65 an hour and a tenth under $24.16. At the top, a quarter earned over $57.72 and a tenth over $60.79.

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

Jobs ahead in Illinois

Illinois's labor market office projects jobs for plumbers growing from 15,400 in 2022 to 15,800 in 2032, a change of 2.6%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 1,370 openings a year.

Jobs are projected to grow 2.6% from 2022 to 2032, about the same as the 2.3% projected nationally, ranking 46th 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 Illinois

To contract on your own in Illinois, the license is the Illinois plumber license, plus plumbing contractor registration for your business.

Insurance. Contractors: general liability of $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate for bodily injury, property damage of $50,000 (or $300,000 combined single limit), and workers' compensation with $500,000 employer's liability.

Bond. Contractors: $20,000 indemnification bond or a letter of credit for the same amount.

Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Illinois median of $48.05 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $154.97 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.