- Businesses and individuals that contract for plumbing work in Minnesota need a plumbing contractor license, or a restricted plumbing contractor license for towns under 5,000 people, from the Department of Labor and Industry.
- Master: at least one year of practical experience as a licensed journeyworker plumber. Journeyworker: at least four years of recorded experience as a registered unlicensed plumber, or a completed registered apprenticeship. One year counts as at least 1,750 hours.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $23.42 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of plumbers to $58.20 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 5.6% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 2.3% projected nationally.
The path in Minnesota, step by step
Minnesota licenses plumbing work at the state level through the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI). These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Register with DLI as an unlicensed plumber or join a registered apprenticeship.
- Log four years of experience and pass the journeyworker plumber exam.
- Work one year as a licensed journeyworker and pass the master plumber exam.
- Get liability insurance, workers compensation and a $25,000 surety bond.
- Apply in iMS for the plumbing contractor license and pay $188.
- Renew by December 31 of odd numbered years and complete 16 hours of continuing education each license period.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: plumbing license in Minnesota.
Finding an apprenticeship in Minnesota
Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota
The license to aim for: Plumbing Contractor license (with a Master Plumber as responsible licensed individual).
Trade exam. Yes. Master and journeyworker plumbers must pass a license exam, and applicants need certified practical work experience.
Keeping it. Plumbing contractor licenses expire December 31 of odd numbered years. Master and journeyworker plumbers need 16 hours of approved continuing education each two year license period.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Plumbing Contractor | Contract for plumbing anywhere in the state with a licensed master plumber as responsible individual. |
| Master Plumber | Plan, supervise and install plumbing statewide. |
| Journeyworker Plumber | Install plumbing working under a master plumber. |
| Restricted Master Plumber | Contract for plumbing in cities and towns with fewer than 5,000 people. |
| Registered unlicensed plumber | Unlicensed employee working under direct supervision of a licensed plumber. |
What the Minnesota license costs
The fees the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plumbing contractor initial license or renewal | $188 |
What plumbers earn in Minnesota
The median plumber in Minnesota earned $45.39 an hour in May 2025, 4th of 51 states, with 10,720 on payrolls. The national median was $30.67.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of plumbers in Minnesota earned under $29.40 an hour and a tenth under $23.42. At the top, a quarter earned over $52.29 and a tenth over $58.20.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23.42 | $48,720 |
| 25th percentile | $29.40 | $61,150 |
| Median | $45.39 | $94,410 |
| 75th percentile | $52.29 | $108,750 |
| 90th percentile | $58.20 | $121,050 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: plumber salary in Minnesota.
Jobs ahead in Minnesota
Minnesota's labor market office projects jobs for plumbers growing from 11,110 in 2022 to 11,730 in 2032, a change of 5.6%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 1,030 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 5.6% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 2.3% projected nationally, ranking 34th 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 Minnesota
To contract on your own in Minnesota, the license is the Plumbing Contractor license (with a Master Plumber as responsible licensed individual).
Insurance. Liability insurance of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per occurrence, property damage of at least $10,000, and workers compensation. DLI must be listed as certificate holder.
Bond. A $25,000 surety bond on a DLI approved form.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Minnesota median of $45.39 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $150.30 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 Minnesota'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.
- DLI plumbing contractor licensing basics (checked 2026-10-08)
- DLI plumbing license types (checked 2026-10-08)
- DLI plumbing license experience requirements (checked 2026-10-08)
- DLI continuing education for plumbers (checked 2026-10-08)
- DLI plumbing and mechanical contractors (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.