How to become a plumber in Vermont

The path in Vermont, step by step

Vermont licenses plumbing work at the state level through the Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety, Plumber's Examining Board. These are the steps it lays out, in order.

1. Finish a Vermont apprenticeship and get your journeyman plumber license.
2. Hold the journeyman license for at least 12 months.
3. Complete the Vermont Energy Goals education module.
4. Send the notarized master application and $120 fee to the Division of Fire Safety at least two weeks before a board meeting.
5. Pass the master plumber exam.

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

Finding an apprenticeship in Vermont

Vermont 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 Vermont 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 Vermont

The license to aim for: Master Plumber (PM).

Trade exam. Yes. The master plumber exam is written and covers plumbing theory and practice and Vermont law and rules. The board points to the International Code Council (ICC) for plumbing testing.

Keeping it. Licenses are valid for two years. You need eight hours of board-approved training in the previous 24 months to renew, plus the Vermont Energy Goals education module.

Coming from another state. The application lists a universal license path for out-of-state masters with a certified letter, proof of schooling and 12,000 hours, plus a 2-hour Vermont code course. Ask the board for details.

What the Vermont license costs

The fees the Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety, Plumber's Examining Board lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.

What plumbers earn in Vermont

The median plumber in Vermont earned $29.89 an hour in May 2025, 32nd of 51 states, with 980 on payrolls. The national median was $30.67.

At the bottom of the range, a quarter of plumbers in Vermont earned under $26.99 an hour and a tenth under $23.46. At the top, a quarter earned over $39.54 and a tenth over $44.20.

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

Jobs ahead in Vermont

Vermont's labor market office projects jobs for plumbers growing from 980 in 2022 to 1,050 in 2032, a change of 7.1%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 90 openings a year.

Jobs are projected to grow 7.1% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 2.3% projected nationally, ranking 29th 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 Vermont

To contract on your own in Vermont, the license is the Master Plumber (PM).

Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Vermont median of $29.89 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $123.08 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.