How do you start as a plumber in Idaho?
There are three ways in: a registered apprenticeship (24 programs in Idaho), trade school (4 schools with plumber programs), or a helper or trainee job with a licensed plumbing contractor.
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 ID
- 24 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In ID
- 4 schools with programs
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 do you get a plumber license in Idaho?
Log 8,000 hours of supervised work, then apply to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, Plumbing Board and pass the journeyman exam given by PSI.
Journeyman license from the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, Plumbing Board.
Start as an apprentice or trainee$50 registration
Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.
- Issued by
- Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, Plumbing Board
- Cost
- $50 registration
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$22.50 application
Apply to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, Plumbing Board with your hours, then book the exam with PSI.
- Issued by
- Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, Plumbing Board
- Cost
- $22.50 application
Keep it currentEvery 3 years$21.60 renewal
Renew every 3 years. Idaho Code requires proof of continuing education to renew a plumbing journeyman or contractor certificate, with the content set by the board; the current plumbing rules list no required hours.
- Issued by
- Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, Plumbing Board
- Time
- Every 3 years
- Cost
- $21.60 renewal
Run your own shop
To bid and contract on your own you need a plumbing contractor license or registration.
- Issued by
- DOPL - Electrical / Plumbing / HVAC boards
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the Idaho journeyman license.
$52,380
a year is the median for plumbers in Idaho ($25.18 an hour, May 2025).4
Pay by city and percentile- Boise City$27.38
- Lewiston$26.56
- Idaho Falls$24.72
- Twin Falls$24.38
- Coeur d'Alene$24.17
More questions about becoming a plumber in Idaho
How long does it take to become a plumber in Idaho?
About 4 years of full-time work: the journeyman license requires 8,000 hours of supervised experience.2
Are plumbers in demand in Idaho?
Projections Central expects about 650 plumber openings a year in Idaho through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.3
Find an apprenticeship near you
24 registered programs in Idaho. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for plumbers in Idaho
Sources
- Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, Plumbing Board (dopl.idaho.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, Plumbing Board: experience requirements (adminrules.idaho.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Idaho, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)