Pick your way in
Every route ends at the same place: 8,000 logged hours and the state exam.
Earn while you learn
A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.
- Pay
- From day one
- In AK
- 46 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In AK
- Community colleges nearby
Start on a crew
Get hired as a helper by a licensed plumbing contractor and log hours on the job.
- Pay
- Paid on the job
- Start
- No experience needed
The license steps
Journeyman license from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection.
Start as an apprentice or trainee
Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.
- Issued by
- Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection
Log 8,000 hours8,000 hrs
About 4 years of full-time work under a licensed plumber. Keep your own log of hours and pay stubs.
- Issued by
- Your employer signs off
- Time
- 8,000 hrs
Pass the journeyman exam$50 application
Apply to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection with your hours, then book the exam.
- Issued by
- Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection
- Cost
- $50 application
Keep it currentEvery 2 years$200 renewal
Renew every 2 years. 16 hours in the preceding 24 months; at least 8 must cover changes to the Uniform Plumbing Code and no more than 8 may be industry related
- Issued by
- Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection
- Time
- Every 2 years
- Cost
- $200 renewal
Run your own shop
To bid and contract on your own you need a plumbing contractor license or registration.
- Issued by
- Dept of Labor - Mechanical Inspection (electrical administrators, plumbers/electricians)
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the Alaska journeyman license.
$93,920
a year is the median for plumbers in Alaska ($45.15 an hour, May 2025).5
Pay by city and percentile- Fairbanks–College$46.48
- Anchorage$45.00
Questions
How long does it take to become a plumber in Alaska?
About 4 years of full-time work: the journeyman license requires 8,000 hours of supervised experience.2
Do you need a license to work on your own as a plumber in Alaska?
Alaska requires plumbing contractors to register with the Dept of Labor.3
Are plumbers in demand in Alaska?
Projections Central expects about 100 plumber openings a year in Alaska through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.4
Find an apprenticeship near you
46 registered programs in Alaska. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for plumbers in Alaska
Sources
- Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection (labor.alaska.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Mechanical Inspection: experience requirements (labor.alaska.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Dept of Labor - Mechanical Inspection (electrical administrators, plumbers/electricians) contractor licensing (commerce.alaska.gov)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Alaska, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)