Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship in Illinois

Wages, programs & career outlook

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters install and repair the piping systems that carry water, gas, steam, and waste. Residential plumbers work on homes; pipefitters and steamfitters handle industrial and commercial systems with higher pressures and tighter tolerances.

IL Median Salary
$96,200/yr
+53% vs. national
National Median
$62,970/yr
IL Employment
18,730
Plumber & Pipefitters employed
IL Sponsors
23
Registered programs
Training Term
4.0 yrs
Time-Based
Job Growth
4.5%
2024–2034 projected
Annual Openings
44,000
Nationally, per yr

Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship in Illinois: Quick Facts

What apprenticeship means here

A registered plumber & pipefitter apprenticeship in Illinois combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Programs typically run 4.0 years and follow a time-based structure. You earn wages from day one — apprentices are employees, not students.

Illinois pay vs. national

Median plumber & pipefitter wages in Illinois are $96,200/year, +53% above the national median of $62,970. Wages scale with experience — journey-level workers earn substantially more than apprentices.

Where to find programs

Illinois has 23 registered apprenticeship sponsors for plumber & pipefitter listed in the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov directory. The sponsor list further down includes joint labor-management programs (JATCs), individual employers, and contractor associations.

Job-market outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4.5% job growth for plumber & pipefitters nationally between 2024 and 2034, with approximately 44,000 annual openings each year (replacement plus growth combined). Apprenticeship demand tends to track local construction and infrastructure spending — Illinois-specific outlook can vary from national figures.

Illinois Wage Spread

Annual wages for Plumber & Pipefitters in Illinois across all experience levels.

10th pct
$47,880
Median
$96,200
90th pct
$123,290
Middle 50% of workers earn $63,710$116,180

Current Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship Openings in Illinois

No plumber & pipefitter apprenticeship openings are currently listed on apprenticeship.gov for Illinois. The sponsors listed below accept applications on a rolling basis — contact them directly. Consider setting up an alert on apprenticeship.gov to be notified when new listings are posted.

Listings aggregated from apprenticeship.gov (US Dept. of Labor). Data refreshed daily.

Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship Sponsors in Illinois

23 plumber & pipefitter-related registered sponsors identified in the DOL ApprenticeshipUSA directory for Illinois. Directory lists sponsor names only — contact each organization directly to confirm current plumber & pipefitter apprenticeship openings.

Organization City County
SPRINKLER FITTTERS AND APPRENTICE UNION LOCAL 281 Alsip Cook County
MANN MADE PLUMBING, INC. Beecher Will County
Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 101 Belleville St. Clair County
Plumbers & Pipe Fitters UA Local 99 Bloomington Mclean County
United Association of Steamfitters JAC (Local 439) Caseyville St. Clair County
Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union #653 Centralia Marion County
Plumbers' Joint Apprenticeship Committee Local 130, UA Chicago Cook County
Plumbers & Gasfitters Local #360 Collinsville Madison County
Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 553 Training Fund East Alton Madison County
Plumbers Local #63 & J A T C Peoria East Peoria Tazewell County
Top Notch, Inc. (PHCC) Galena Jo Daviess County
PIPE FITTER'S TRAINING FUND #597 Mokena Will County
ALMIGHTY PLUMBING LLC Moline
JATC of PHCC & Local #160 Murphysboro Jackson County
JOINT APPRENTICESHIP & TRAINING COMMITTEE OF STEAMFITTERS #353 Peoria Peoria County
PLUMBERS AND PIPEFITTERS JATC OF EASTERN IA & WESTERN IL LOCAL 25 Rock Island Rock Island County
Watson Plumbing & Mechanical Rock Island
Dale's Plumbing Rockford Winnebago County
Rockford Area Plumbing Pipefitting & Refrigeration JATC Rockford Winnebago County
JAC Plumbers & Pipefitters #149 Savoy Champaign County
Springfield Plumbers & Steamfitters Springfield Sangamon County
Plumbers & Pipefitters Local #551 JATC West Frankfort Franklin County
ASAP PLUMBING LLC Woodstock Mchenry County
Search apprenticeship.gov for current Plumber & Pipefitter openings

Filter by occupation code 47-2152 and state IL for the most relevant results.

Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship in Illinois

Program availability in Illinois is moderate: 23 Plumber & Pipefitter-related sponsors in our directory. Candidates in major cities will find multiple options; those in smaller markets may need to commute or relocate within the state.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Plumber & Pipefitter salary in Illinois?
Plumber & Pipefitters in Illinois earn a median salary of $96,200/yr according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2024). This is above the national median of $62,970 for the trade.
How many years does it take to become a Plumber & Pipefitter through apprenticeship?
A typical Plumber & Pipefitter apprenticeship lasts approximately 4 years (8,000 hours of on-the-job training). The program combines paid work experience with related classroom instruction.
Should I do a Plumber & Pipefitter apprenticeship or go to trade school?
Apprenticeships offer paid training with no tuition, while trade school requires upfront costs but may be shorter. Many Plumber & Pipefitters combine both — starting with trade school basics before entering an apprenticeship.
How do I find a Plumber & Pipefitter apprenticeship in Illinois?
Contact one of the 23 Plumber & Pipefitter-adjacent registered sponsors in Illinois (listed below), or search apprenticeship.gov for current openings. Local union halls, community colleges, and the state apprenticeship agency are good first stops.
How much do Plumber & Pipefitter apprentices earn?
Apprentices are paid employees from the start. In Illinois, a first-year Plumber & Pipefitter apprentice might earn around $48,100/yr (roughly half the $96,200 journeyman median), with scheduled raises throughout the 4-year program.

Prefer Trade School Instead?

Apprenticeships pay from day one, but the classroom-first path may fit better for some. Plumber & Pipefitters also train through trade school programs — shorter timeline, more upfront cost.

Compare 19 Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services programs nationwide →
Too few Illinois-based programs to compare locally — see the national list and filter.

Plumber & Pipefitter in Other States

Other Apprenticeships in Illinois

Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2024, DOL RAPIDS Registered Apprenticeship database, ApprenticeshipUSA Sponsor Directory.