How to become a plumber in New Jersey
New Jersey journeyman plumbers register with the New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers and take no exam.1 The exams are for the master plumber license: age 21 or older, plus a four-year DOL-approved apprenticeship and one year (at least 1,200 hours) as a journeyman plumber in New Jersey, or an engineering bachelor's degree plus the same year.1
How do you start as a plumber in New Jersey?
There are three ways in: a registered apprenticeship (14 programs and 388 companies in New Jersey), trade school (6 schools with plumber programs), or a helper or trainee job with a licensed plumbing contractor.
Earn while you learn
A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.
- Pay
- From day one
- In NJ
- 14 programs + 388 companies
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In NJ
- 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
How do you get a plumber license in New Jersey?
Log 1,200 hours of supervised work, then apply to the New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers and pass the master plumber exam given by PSI Services LLC; state fees come to $340.
Master plumber license from the New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers.
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
- New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers
Register as a journeyman plumber
There is no exam for this level: you register with the New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers. It is a registration, not a license.
- Issued by
- New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers
Log 1,200 hours1,200 hrs
Age 21 or older, plus a four-year DOL-approved apprenticeship and one year (at least 1,200 hours) as a journeyman plumber in New Jersey, or an engineering bachelor's degree plus the same year. Keep your own log of hours and pay stubs.
- Issued by
- Your employer signs off
- Time
- 1,200 hrs
Pass the master plumber exams$100 application + $240 exams
Apply to the New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers with your hours, then book the 3 exams with PSI Services LLC.
- Issued by
- New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers
- Cost
- $100 application + $240 exams
Keep it currentEvery 2 years$160 renewal
Renew every 2 years. 5 credits at a Board-approved course every 2-year period; keep proof for 4 years
- Issued by
- New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers
- Time
- Every 2 years
- Cost
- $160 renewal
Run your own shop
Age 21 or older, plus either a four-year U.S. Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship with propane education and one year (at least 1,200 hours) as a journeyman plumber in New Jersey, or a bachelor's degree in mechanical, plumbing or sanitary engineering plus the same year as a journeyman.
- Issued by
- State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the New Jersey master plumber license.
$78,240
a year is the median for plumbers in New Jersey ($37.61 an hour, May 2025).3
Pay by city and percentile- Vineland$37.05
- Trenton–Princeton$36.71
- Atlantic City–Hammonton$30.87
More questions about becoming a plumber in New Jersey
How long does it take to become a plumber in New Jersey?
Journeyman plumbers register with no exam. The master plumber license requires: age 21 or older, plus a four-year DOL-approved apprenticeship and one year (at least 1,200 hours) as a journeyman plumber in New Jersey, or an engineering bachelor's degree plus the same year.1
How much does a plumber license cost in New Jersey?
State fees to get licensed: $340, not counting school or tools.1
Do you need a license to work on your own as a plumber in New Jersey?
Yes. New Jersey licenses plumbing contractors through the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers.1
Are plumbers in demand in New Jersey?
Projections Central expects about 980 plumber openings a year in New Jersey through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.2
Find an apprenticeship near you
14 programs and 388 companies in New Jersey. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for plumbers in New Jersey
Sources
- New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers (njconsumeraffairs.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, New Jersey, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)