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State files updated Oct 27, 2026
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Home / Plumbers / Florida

How to become a plumber in Florida

Florida has no state license for individual plumbers; cities and counties license them. The state licenses plumbing contractors through the Construction Industry Licensing Board (DBPR CILB).1 Local journeyman licenses usually start at 12,000 hours of work.2

12,000hours of work before the exam
$25.44median an hour in Florida

Pick your way in

Every route ends at the same place: 12,000 logged hours and the state exam.

Apprenticeship

Earn while you learn

A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.

Pay
From day one
In FL
75 registered programs
Find a program near you
Trade school

Classroom first

Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.

Pay
You pay tuition
In FL
26 schools with programs
Compare 26 schools
Helper

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
How to get started

The license steps

  1. Get hired or start training

    Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.

    Compare the ways in
  2. Local journeyman license (county or city)12,000 hrs

    Registered state-approved apprenticeship OR 12,000 hours on-the-job hours

    Time
    12,000 hrs
  3. Run your own shop

    To bid and contract on your own you need a plumbing contractor license or registration.

    Issued by
    Construction Industry Licensing Board (DBPR CILB)
    Florida contractor license
Pay once you're working

$52,910

a year is the median for plumbers in Florida ($25.44 an hour, May 2025).4

Pay by city and percentile
  1. Palm Bay–Melbourne$28.74
  2. Jacksonville$28.33
  3. North Port–Bradenton$27.96
  4. Naples–Marco Island$27.80
  5. Miami–Fort Lauderdale$27.77
Florida median $25.44 an hour

Questions

How long does it take to become a plumber in Florida?

About 6 years of full-time work: the local journeyman license (county or city) requires 12,000 hours of supervised experience.2

Do you need a license to work on your own as a plumber in Florida?

Check the Construction Industry Licensing Board (DBPR CILB) before you bid work on your own.1

Are plumbers in demand in Florida?

Projections Central expects about 2,940 plumber openings a year in Florida through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.3

Next step

Find an apprenticeship near you

75 registered programs in Florida. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.

Find a program

More for plumbers in Florida

Sources

  1. DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board (www2.myfloridalicense.com, 2026-10-27)
  2. DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board: experience requirements (leg.state.fl.us, 2026-10-27)
  3. Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
  4. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Florida, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)