Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship in Minnesota

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.

MN Median Salary
$83,280/yr
+32% vs. national
National Median
$62,970/yr
MN Employment
8,520
Plumber & Pipefitters employed
MN Sponsors
27
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 Minnesota: Quick Facts

What apprenticeship means here

A registered plumber & pipefitter apprenticeship in Minnesota 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.

Minnesota pay vs. national

Median plumber & pipefitter wages in Minnesota are $83,280/year, +32% above the national median of $62,970. Wages scale with experience — journey-level workers earn substantially more than apprentices.

Where to find programs

Minnesota has 27 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 — Minnesota-specific outlook can vary from national figures.

Minnesota Wage Spread

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

10th pct
$48,870
Median
$83,280
90th pct
$121,380
Middle 50% of workers earn $60,480$103,570

Current Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship Openings in Minnesota

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

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

Organization City County
Nova Fire Protection Blaine
MPLS PIPEFITTERS JAC Brooklyn Park Hennepin County
NORTHERN MECHANICAL & IRON RANGE PLB & P Duluth St. Louis County
Shield Fire Protection Eagan
Brothers Fire Protection Elk River
Perfection Plumbing Farmington
Commercial Plumbing & Heating Forest Lake
MINNEAPOLIS PLUMBERS JAC Maple Grove Hennepin County
Skyline Fire Protection Maple Grove
Silver Tree Plumbing & Heating Mendota Heights
Voyageur Plumbing LLC Milaca
Ahern Fire Prtection Minneapolis
CENTERPOINT ENERGY & UA LOCAL 340 Minneapolis Hennepin County
Lifesaver Fire Protection Plymouth
SE MN PLUMBERS AND STEAMFITTERS JAC Rochester Olmsted County
Muska Plumbing Roseville
Dynamic Fire Protection Saint Paul
Summit Fire Protection Saint Paul
Viking Automatic Sprinkler Saint Paul
MPLS ST PAUL SPRINKR JAC Shoreview Ramsey County
BRETH ZENEN FIRE PROTECTION St Joseph
ESCAPE FIRE PROTECTION St Paul
ST PAUL PHA & BLDG TR JAC St Paul Ramsey County
ST PAUL PIPEFITTERS JJATC St Paul Ramsey County
ST PAUL PLUMBERS JAC St Paul Ramsey County
+ 2 more sponsors in Minnesota
Search apprenticeship.gov for current Plumber & Pipefitter openings

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

Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship in Minnesota

Minnesota has 27 registered sponsors our directory identifies as Plumber & Pipefitter-adjacent — a functional apprenticeship pipeline concentrated in metro areas. Union locals and joint apprenticeship committees account for most placements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do Plumber & Pipefitters earn in Minnesota?
The median annual wage for Plumber & Pipefitters in Minnesota is $83,280 as of May 2024. Wages range from $48,870 at the 10th percentile to $121,380 at the 90th percentile.
How long is a Plumber & Pipefitter 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.
What's the difference between a Plumber & Pipefitter apprenticeship and trade school?
The key difference: apprenticeships pay you during training while trade schools charge tuition. Many employers prefer apprenticeship-trained Plumber & Pipefitters, but trade school can give you a head start on the classroom requirements.
How do I find a Plumber & Pipefitter apprenticeship in Minnesota?
Our directory surfaces 27 Plumber & Pipefitter-related registered sponsors in Minnesota. Start with your local trade union hall, joint apprenticeship committee (JAC), or state apprenticeship agency. You can also search apprenticeship.gov by occupation and ZIP.
Do Plumber & Pipefitter apprentices get paid during training?
Yes. Apprentices earn wages from day one, typically starting at 40–60% of the journeyman rate (roughly $41,640/yr in Minnesota). Wages increase at regular intervals — usually every 6 months — as you progress through the 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 Minnesota-based programs to compare locally — see the national list and filter.

Plumber & Pipefitter in Other States

Other Apprenticeships in Minnesota

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