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

How to become a plumber in Indiana

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

275registered apprenticeship programs$36.69median an hour in Indiana

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 IN
275 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 IN
2 schools with programs
Compare 2 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
    Indiana Plumbing Commission, Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA)
    Compare the ways in
  2. Journeyman license4 yrs

    4 years in a Commission-approved apprenticeship, or 4 years of plumbing trade experience shown by a notarized statement, or an out-of-state plumbing license

    Time
    4 yrs
  3. Contractor license4 yrs

    4 years in an approved apprenticeship, 4 years of trade experience, or 4 years in a plumbing business under a licensed contractor

    Time
    4 yrs
Already logging hours?

Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the Indiana license.

Indiana plumber license
Pay once you're working

$76,320

a year is the median for plumbers in Indiana ($36.69 an hour, May 2025).4

Pay by city and percentile
  1. Bloomington$46.63
  2. Kokomo$43.98
  3. Terre Haute$43.39
  4. Columbus$41.31
  5. Fort Wayne$37.07
Indiana median $36.69 an hour

Questions

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

Yes. Indiana licenses plumbing contractors through the Indiana Plumbing Commission (Professional Licensing Agency).2

Are plumbers in demand in Indiana?

Projections Central expects about 1,100 plumber openings a year in Indiana through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.3

Next step

Find an apprenticeship near you

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

Find a program

More for plumbers in Indiana

Sources

  1. Indiana Plumbing Commission, Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) (in.gov, 2026-10-27)
  2. Indiana Plumbing Commission (Professional Licensing Agency) contractor licensing (iga.in.gov)
  3. Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
  4. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Indiana, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)