Pick your way in
Every route ends at the same place: 6,000 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 MI
- 30 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In MI
- 6 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
Journey-level certificate from LARA.
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
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes
Log 6,000 hours6,000 hrs
About 3 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
- 6,000 hrs
Pass the journey-level exam
Apply to LARA with your hours, then book the exam with PSI.
- Issued by
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes
Keep it currentEvery year
Renew every year. No set hours.
- Issued by
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes
- Time
- Every year
Run your own shop
To bid and contract on your own you need a plumbing contractor license or registration.
- Issued by
- LARA BCC - Plumbing / Mechanical Boards
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the Michigan journey-level certificate.
$80,190
a year is the median for plumbers in Michigan ($38.56 an hour, May 2025).5
Pay by city and percentile- Kalamazoo–Portage$43.62
- Detroit–Warren$41.53
- Jackson$39.39
- Monroe$38.80
- Flint$38.71
Questions
How long does it take to become a plumber in Michigan?
About 3 years of full-time work: the journey-level certificate requires 6,000 hours of supervised experience.2
Do you need a license to work on your own as a plumber in Michigan?
Yes. Michigan licenses plumbing contractors through the LARA BCC.3
Are plumbers in demand in Michigan?
Projections Central expects about 1,150 plumber openings a year in Michigan through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.4
Find an apprenticeship near you
30 registered programs in Michigan. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for plumbers in Michigan
Sources
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes (legislature.mi.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes: experience requirements (legislature.mi.gov, 2026-10-27)
- LARA BCC - Plumbing / Mechanical Boards contractor licensing (michigan.gov)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Michigan, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)