Home / Plumbers / Kentucky / Apprenticeships
Find a program near you
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8 programs
Ashland Plumbers & Pipefitters
Ashland · Boyd County
DuPont Plumbing
Southgate · Campbell County
Eddyson Plumbing LLC
Flatwoods · Greenup County
eddysonplumbing.comMaximum Plumbing
Crescent Springs · Kenton County
Owensboro Plmbs & Pipefitters
Owensboro · Daviess County
Plumbers & Pipefitters Loc 502
Louisville · Jefferson County
Plumbers and Steamfitters L.U. 184 JAC
Paducah · McCracken County
Plumbers and Steamfitters Local No. 452 JAC
Lexington · Fayette County
No programs match. Clear the county or type filter, or try a nearby ZIP.
Union locals and training centers in Kentucky
Call the local or its training center for the next application date.
UA union locals
- UA Local 184Paducah(270) 442-3213
- UA Local 248Ashland(606) 325-2544
- UA Local 452Lexington(859) 252-8337
- UA Local 502Ste A Louisville(502) 361-8492
- UA Local 633Owensboro(270) 683-1587
Training
UA apprenticeships run through a joint committee of the local and union contractors. Call the local for the next application date.
PHCC chapters
No PHCC chapter lists an office in Kentucky. PHCC chapter finder
Union or open shop?
Union
Run by a joint committee run by the United Association (UA) local and union contractors. You apply to the committee, take an aptitude test and an interview, and wait on a ranked list. The committee sends you to its contractors.
Pay is a set share of the union journey-level rate and steps up on a schedule. Classes are nights or week-long blocks, usually paid for by the program.
Open shop
Run by PHCC, ABC or a single plumbing contractor. You usually get hired by a member contractor first, and the contractor enrolls you.
Your employer sets the pay and the raises. Classes are nights or weekends, and some programs charge tuition.
What do programs ask for?
Age
Usually 18. Some programs take applications at 17.
High school diploma or GED
Most programs ask for one. Bring a transcript.
Aptitude test or interview
Union programs give an aptitude test (math and reading) and an interview, then rank applicants. Open-shop programs usually start with a job offer.
Driver's license and drug screen
Many programs ask for both, since apprentices drive between job sites.
Applying this month
Get your papers together1 week
High school transcript or GED, a photo ID, and your birth certificate or proof of age. Programs that ask for algebra want the transcript that shows it.
- Time
- 1 week
Practice for the aptitude test2 to 4 weeks
Union programs test algebra and reading. A few evenings with a practice test helps your ranking.
- Time
- 2 to 4 weeks
Pick three programs and check their dates1 evening
Union programs take applications in set windows, some once a year. Open-shop programs and employer programs often take them year-round.
- Time
- 1 evening
Apply, then keep working
Apply to all three. While you wait, a helper or trainee job with a licensed contractor gives you hours and a reference.
Can't get in yet?
Pre-apprenticeship
Short programs, often free, that teach the basics and help with the application. Ask the programs above which ones they take graduates from.
Start on a crew
Licensed contractors hire helpers with no experience. Keep a log of your hours and employers; many programs and license boards count them. If you'd rather learn the basics first, 7 schools in Kentucky have plumber programs.
The license steps in KentuckyHow do you get into a plumber apprenticeship in Kentucky?
Pick programs near you, check each one's website for its application dates, and apply to more than one. Union programs test and interview, then rank applicants; open-shop programs usually start once a member contractor hires you.
How much do plumber apprentices make in Kentucky?
Programs set their own scales, usually a share of journey-level pay that rises every year. For a floor, the lowest-paid tenth of all plumbers in Kentucky earned $21.57 an hour or less in May 2025.
Plumber pay in KentuckyOther routes in Kentucky
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Kentucky, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)