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Home / Plumbers / Illinois

How to become a plumber in Illinois

Illinois licenses plumbers at the state level through IDPH.1 You start as an apprentice or trainee and work toward the exam.

27registered apprenticeship programs$48.05median an hour in Illinois

Pick your way in

Apprenticeship

Earn while you learn

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

Pay
From day one
In IL
27 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 IL
4 schools with programs
Compare 4 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. 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
    Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Plumbing Program
    Compare the ways in
  2. Journeyman license4 yrs

    At least 4 years as a licensed apprentice plumber, 2 years of high school or equivalent, and an approved course of instruction

    Time
    4 yrs
  3. Run your own shop

    Plumber: at least 4 years as a licensed apprentice plumber and 2 years of high school (or equivalent) plus an approved course of instruction. Apprentice: age 16, sponsored by an Illinois licensed plumber.

    Issued by
    Illinois Department of Public Health - Plumbing Program
    Illinois contractor license
Pay once you're working

$99,950

a year is the median for plumbers in Illinois ($48.05 an hour, May 2025).4

Pay by city and percentile
  1. Chicago–Naperville$49.70
  2. Champaign–Urbana$45.93
  3. Springfield$45.37
  4. Rockford$45.31
  5. Peoria$40.91
Illinois median $48.05 an hour

Questions

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

Yes. Illinois licenses plumbing contractors through the Illinois Department of Public Health.1

Are plumbers in demand in Illinois?

Projections Central expects about 1,730 plumber openings a year in Illinois through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.3

Next step

Find an apprenticeship near you

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

Find a program

More for plumbers in Illinois

Sources

  1. Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Plumbing Program (dph.illinois.gov, 2026-10-27)
  2. Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Plumbing Program: experience requirements (dph.illinois.gov, 2026-10-27)
  3. Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
  4. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Illinois, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)