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 WA
- 7 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In WA
- 3 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 the WA L&I, Plumber Certification Program.
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
- WA L&I, Plumber Certification Program
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 journey-level exam$202.10 exam
Apply to the WA L&I, Plumber Certification Program with your hours, then book the exam with PSI.
- Issued by
- WA L&I, Plumber Certification Program
- Cost
- $202.10 exam
Keep it currentEvery 3 years$242.70 renewal
Renew every 3 years. Journey: 24 hours per 3 years (at least 12 code, at least 4 industry-related electrical); trainee 8 hours/years
- Issued by
- WA L&I, Plumber Certification Program
- Time
- Every 3 years
- Cost
- $242.70 renewal
Run your own shop
PL01 8,000 hours as trainee under a journey plumber (at least 4,000 commercial/industrial); PL02 6,000; PL04 4,000; PL03 4,000; PL03A 2,000. Out-of-state hours generally not accepted.
- Issued by
- L&I Electrical / Plumber certification
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the Washington journey-level certificate.
$81,030
a year is the median for plumbers in Washington ($38.96 an hour, May 2025).4
Pay by city and percentile- Bellingham$49.40
- Kennewick–Richland$46.70
- Seattle–Tacoma$45.78
- Bremerton–Silverdale$39.89
- Longview–Kelso$38.80
Questions
How long does it take to become a plumber in Washington?
About 4 years of full-time work: the journey-level certificate requires 8,000 hours of supervised experience.1
Do you need a license to work on your own as a plumber in Washington?
Yes. Washington licenses plumbing contractors through the L&I Electrical / Plumber certification.2
Are plumbers in demand in Washington?
Projections Central expects about 1,110 plumber openings a year in Washington through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.3
Find an apprenticeship near you
7 registered programs in Washington. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for plumbers in Washington
Sources
- WA L&I, Plumber Certification Program (lni.wa.gov, 2026-10-27)
- L&I Electrical / Plumber certification contractor licensing (app.leg.wa.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Washington, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)