Plumber and pipefitter careers for veterans: the license ladder from apprentice to master

The ladder, rung by rung

BLS lays out the plumbing career in stages. Most plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters learn through a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship with about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training a year plus technical instruction that includes math, applied physics and chemistry^[2]. Finishing the apprenticeship and passing a licensing exam makes you a journey-level worker. Plumbers with several more years of experience who pass another exam earn master status, and some states require master status for a plumbing contractor's licence^[2].

Pipefitters and steamfitters follow a similar route but more often work in industrial settings such as power plants and large commercial heating and cooling systems. BLS notes that some states license pipefitters and steamfitters too, and that a special licence may be needed for gas lines^[2]. Some pipefitter apprenticeships require welding coursework, so welding experience from the service can count for something here.

What each rung is worth

BLS does not publish pay by licence level, but the wage distribution for the occupation reflects the ladder. In May 2025 the 10th percentile earned $44,150, the median $63,800 and the 90th percentile $108,420^[1]. The jump from median to 75th percentile, $21,310, is larger than the jump from 25th to median, $13,610. In a trade where each step is gated by an exam, that is the shape you would expect.

1. 10th percentile$44,150 $21.22/hr
2. 25th percentile$50,190 $24.13/hr
3. Median$63,800 $30.67/hr
4. 75th percentile$85,110 $40.92/hr
5. 90th percentile$108,420 $52.13/hr

90th ÷ 10th: 2.5× ($64,270 apart) · Mean $72,170 · 465,840 wage-and-salary jobs

Plumbing's 90th percentile is almost identical to electricians', and its median is slightly higher. The District of Columbia and Illinois had state medians close to $100,000, with Oregon, Minnesota and Alaska above $93,000^[3].

The GI Bill fits this trade well

Plumbing is the trade on our list where VA-approved training is most concentrated in employer programs rather than schools.

About 80% of approved plumbing programs in VA's tool are on-the-job training, the highest share of the eight trades in that data set. For a veteran, that means more chances to find a sponsor where you earn an apprentice wage and draw the GI Bill housing payment at the same time. The payment tapers in six-month steps, so it does the most work early in a 4- to 5-year apprenticeship.

Read our GI Bill and SkillBridge summary for who qualifies and what to check before you sign.

Military jobs that map over

The plumbing crosswalk is one of the shortest. Utilities and water-support jobs dominate it. If your work was on fuel systems, shipboard piping or damage control, you may find a closer match in the pipefitter side of the trade than in residential plumbing.

Where the jobs are

California and Texas had the most plumbing and pipefitting jobs, together about 20% of the national total^[3]. Concentration is highest in Louisiana, which has a large petrochemical industry, and in Maine, Maryland, Utah and Wyoming.

Outlook

BLS projects 7% growth from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, and about 42,000 openings a year. It attributes demand to new construction and to maintaining and repairing plumbing in existing buildings^[2].

Because licensing is state and sometimes city-specific, decide where you plan to settle before you choose a sponsor. Hours and exams in one jurisdiction do not always transfer. CareerOneStop lists the licensing board for each state^[6].

For GI Bill-approved plumbing apprenticeships and schools by state, see Veteran Trade Schools, a sister site.