Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship in Michigan

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.

MI Median Salary
$77,030/yr
+22% vs. national
National Median
$62,970/yr
MI Employment
12,830
Plumber & Pipefitters employed
MI Sponsors
33
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 Michigan: Quick Facts

What apprenticeship means here

A registered plumber & pipefitter apprenticeship in Michigan 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.

Michigan pay vs. national

Median plumber & pipefitter wages in Michigan are $77,030/year, +22% above the national median of $62,970. Wages scale with experience — journey-level workers earn substantially more than apprentices.

Where to find programs

Michigan has 33 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 — Michigan-specific outlook can vary from national figures.

Michigan Wage Spread

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

10th pct
$41,710
Median
$77,030
90th pct
$100,620
Middle 50% of workers earn $50,150$91,590

Current Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship Openings in Michigan

No plumber & pipefitter apprenticeship openings are currently listed on apprenticeship.gov for Michigan. 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 Michigan

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

Organization City County
GREATER MICHIGAN UA LOCAL 190 JTC Ann Arbor Washtenaw County
Brigade Fire Protection, Inc. Belmont Kent County
Fenner Plumbing, Inc. Berrien Springs Berrien County
DEPENDABLE FIRE PROTECTION Cedar Springs Kent County
Van Wall Fire Protection Inc. Comstock Park Kent County
West Michigan Plumbers, Fitters & Service Trades Coopersville Ottawa County
JERMOR PLUMBING & HEATING Detroit Wayne County
LaPlace Plumbing Edwardsburg Cass County
Streb & Son Plumbing Services Edwardsburg Cass County
Detroit Sprinklerfitters Local 704 JAC Farmington Oakland County
Flint Plumbers JATC Flushing Genesee County
Total Fire Protection West, LLC Grand Rapids Kent County
Total Fire Protection, Inc Grand Rapids Kent County
Total Fire and Security Grand Rapids
Colvin's Plumbing and Heating Hale
DHE Plumbing & Mechanical Hudsonville Ottawa County
UP PLUMBERS & PIPEFITTERS LU 111 Ishpeming Delta County
FALCON FIRE PROTECTION LLC Jackson Jackson County
Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union No 333 JATC Lansing Clinton County
Field Plumbing & Heating, Inc. Lawrence Van Buren County
NORTHERN PIPING, LLC Macomb Township Macomb County
MONROE PLUMBERS AND PIPEFITTER JATC Monroe Monroe County
SLR Plumbing & Sewer Cleaning Inc. Niles Berrien County
Smith Pumps & Plumbing Owosso Shiawassee County
Wolverine Pipe Line Company Portage Kalamazoo County
+ 8 more sponsors in Michigan
Search apprenticeship.gov for current Plumber & Pipefitter openings

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

Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship in Michigan

Apprenticeship seekers in Michigan can contact any of 33 trade-specific sponsors our directory surfaces. Coverage is reasonable in urban centers, thinner in rural regions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Plumber & Pipefitters make in Michigan?
Plumber & Pipefitters in Michigan earn a median salary of $77,030/yr according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2024). This is above the national median of $62,970 for the trade.
What is the length of a Plumber & Pipefitter apprenticeship program?
Most Plumber & Pipefitter apprenticeships run 4 years. Apprentices work under a journeyman while attending classes, typically earning wages from day one with scheduled increases.
Should I do a Plumber & Pipefitter apprenticeship or go to trade school?
An apprenticeship lets you earn while you learn over 4 years with no tuition cost. Trade school is faster (6–24 months) but costs money upfront. Both can lead to the same journeyman credential.
How do I find a Plumber & Pipefitter apprenticeship in Michigan?
Contact one of the 33 Plumber & Pipefitter-adjacent registered sponsors in Michigan (listed below), or search apprenticeship.gov for current openings. Local union halls, community colleges, and the state apprenticeship agency are good first stops.
Do Plumber & Pipefitter apprentices get paid during training?
Apprentices are paid employees from the start. In Michigan, a first-year Plumber & Pipefitter apprentice might earn around $38,515/yr (roughly half the $77,030 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 Michigan-based programs to compare locally — see the national list and filter.

Plumber & Pipefitter in Other States

Other Apprenticeships in Michigan

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