How to become a plumber in Pennsylvania

The path in Pennsylvania, step by step

There is no state plumbing license in Pennsylvania. Some of Pennsylvania's municipalities license plumbers, so check with the city or township where you work. Philadelphia, for example, issues a Master Plumber license: you need one year as a registered Philadelphia journeyman plumber, a passing score on the Philadelphia Master Plumber exam given by the International Code Council, $500,000 per occurrence general liability, $300,000 auto liability and workers comp. The license fee is $303 and renewal is $253. The training is the same as anywhere: learn the trade under someone experienced, ideally in a registered apprenticeship.

1. Ask the city or township where you will work whether it licenses plumbers.
2. In Philadelphia, register as a journeyman plumber and work at least one year.
3. In Philadelphia, pass the Master Plumber exam given by the International Code Council.
4. Get the insurance the city requires and apply for the license online.
5. If you do home improvement work of $5,000 or more a year, register with the Attorney General.

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

Finding an apprenticeship in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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.

Licenses and exams around Pennsylvania

The license to aim for: None at state level.

What plumbers earn in Pennsylvania

The median plumber in Pennsylvania earned $32.73 an hour in May 2025, 18th of 51 states, with 13,620 on payrolls. The national median was $30.67.

At the bottom of the range, a quarter of plumbers in Pennsylvania earned under $27.83 an hour and a tenth under $22.49. At the top, a quarter earned over $44.15 and a tenth over $64.48.

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

Jobs ahead in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's labor market office projects jobs for plumbers growing from 16,220 in 2022 to 16,680 in 2032, a change of 2.8%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 1,450 openings a year.

Jobs are projected to grow 2.8% from 2022 to 2032, about the same as the 2.3% projected nationally, ranking 45th 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 Pennsylvania

Some of Pennsylvania's municipalities license plumbers, so check with the city or township where you work. Philadelphia, for example, issues a Master Plumber license: you need one year as a registered Philadelphia journeyman plumber, a passing score on the Philadelphia Master Plumber exam given by the International Code Council, $500,000 per occurrence general liability, $300,000 auto liability and workers comp. The license fee is $303 and renewal is $253.

Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Pennsylvania median of $32.73 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $128.07 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.