Plumber in North Carolina
Requirements, salary data, licensing costs, and career ROI for NC. Updated with 2024 BLS OEWS wage data.
BLS OEWS 2024, North Carolina.
Jobs (NC)
10-yr job growth
Est. total cost
Time to complete
route How to become a plumber in North Carolina
To become a licensed Plumbing Contractor Class I in North Carolina, individuals must be at least 18 years old and have 4,000 hours (2 years) of hands-on experience, with up to half of that experience potentially coming from academic or technical training. Applicants need to pass a criminal background check, submit an application with a $100 fee, and then pass both the North Carolina Plumbing Contractor Class I Technical Examination and a Business and Law Examination, which costs $75. Upon passing, a license activation fee of $150 is required. While there are no continuing education requirements, North Carolina does offer a technical exam waiver for South Carolina plumbing contractors, and the Neighbor State Licensing Recognition Act may provide a pathway for those licensed in other neighboring states, though the North Carolina business law exam is still required.
bar_chart Salary percentiles
Source: BLS OEWS 2024 for North Carolina. Metro-area wages may differ significantly from the state aggregate.
checklist North Carolina requirements
| Licensing body | State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors |
| State license | Required |
| Education | None |
| Experience | 4,000.0 hours |
| Exam | North Carolina Plumbing Contractor Class I Technical Examination and Business and Law Examination ($75) |
| Application fee | $100 |
| Renewal | Every 1.0 year |
| Notes | Minimum age is 18 years old. Applicants must pass a criminal background check. North Carolina licenses contractors, not journeymen. The 4000 hours (2 years) of experience must be hands-on, and up to 2,000 hours may be substituted with academic or technical training. Class I is for any potable water/drainage system (residential, commercial, industrial). Class II is for single-family detached dwellings only. The exam application fee is $100, and the exam itself costs $75. The license activation fee after passing the exam is $150. There are no continuing education requirements for plumbers in North Carolina. |
Source: State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors
workspace_premium North Carolina license tiers
North Carolina offers multiple tiers of plumber licensing:
| Tier | Hours required |
|---|---|
| Plumbing Class I Contractor | 4,000 |
| Plumbing Class II Contractor | 4,000 |
work_outline Job outlook
AI & tech impact
This career has low exposure to AI automation. Most tasks require physical presence, human judgment, or hands-on skills that AI cannot easily replicate.
balance Is it worth it?
- check_circleNorth Carolina license required — clearer credential signal to employers
- check_circleLow AI disruption risk