Pick your way in
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 LA
- 41 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In LA
- 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
The license steps
Journeyman license from the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana.
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
- State Plumbing Board of Louisiana
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$135 exam
Apply to the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana with your hours, then book the exam.
- Issued by
- State Plumbing Board of Louisiana
- Cost
- $135 exam
Keep it currentEvery year
Renew every year. 3.5 hours of board-approved continuing professional education each year before renewal (5 hours for master plumbers)
- Issued by
- State Plumbing Board of Louisiana
- Time
- Every year
Run your own shop
To bid and contract on your own you need a plumbing contractor license or registration.
- Issued by
- Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC)
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the Louisiana journeyman license.
$63,680
a year is the median for plumbers in Louisiana ($30.62 an hour, May 2025).5
Pay by city and percentile- Baton Rouge$35.69
- Lake Charles$32.69
- New Orleans–Metairie$30.03
- Shreveport–Bossier City$28.71
- Slidell–Mandeville$28.25
Questions
How long does it take to become a plumber in Louisiana?
About 4 years of full-time work: the journeyman license requires 8,000 hours of supervised experience.2
Do you need a license to work on your own as a plumber in Louisiana?
Yes. Louisiana licenses plumbing contractors through the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC).3
Are plumbers in demand in Louisiana?
Projections Central expects about 900 plumber openings a year in Louisiana through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.4
Find an apprenticeship near you
41 registered programs in Louisiana. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for plumbers in Louisiana
Sources
- State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (legis.la.gov, 2026-10-27)
- State Plumbing Board of Louisiana: experience requirements (law.cornell.edu, 2026-10-27)
- Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) contractor licensing (lslbc.louisiana.gov)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Louisiana, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)