Pick your way in
Earn while you learn
A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.
- Pay
- From day one
- In NM
- 1 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In NM
- 5 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
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 Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division (CID)
JP, JPF, JG, JPG2 yrs
2 years
- Time
- 2 yrs
MS-12J and MS-14J fire protection4 yrs
4 years
- Time
- 4 yrs
Run your own shop
Four years of work experience within the last 10 years in the classification for most classes (some, such as GA-2, require two). Approved technical training can replace up to half of the required experience, counting each year of training as half a year.
- Issued by
- NM Regulation and Licensing Dept - Construction Industries Division (CID)
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the New Mexico license.
$61,440
a year is the median for plumbers in New Mexico ($29.54 an hour, May 2025).5
Pay by city and percentile- Albuquerque$30.72
- Las Cruces$26.23
- Santa Fe$24.13
- Farmington$23.55
Questions
Do you need a license to work on your own as a plumber in New Mexico?
Yes. New Mexico licenses plumbing contractors through the NM Regulation and Licensing Dept.3
Are plumbers in demand in New Mexico?
Projections Central expects about 290 plumber openings a year in New Mexico through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.4
Find an apprenticeship near you
1 registered programs in New Mexico. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for plumbers in New Mexico
Sources
- New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division (CID) (rld.nm.gov, 2026-10-27)
- New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division (CID): experience requirements (srca.nm.gov, 2026-10-27)
- NM Regulation and Licensing Dept - Construction Industries Division (CID) contractor licensing (rld.nm.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, New Mexico, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)