Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship in Virginia

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.

VA Median Salary
$59,560/yr
-5% vs. national
National Median
$62,970/yr
VA Employment
13,190
Plumber & Pipefitters employed
VA Sponsors
89
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 Virginia: Quick Facts

What apprenticeship means here

A registered plumber & pipefitter apprenticeship in Virginia 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.

Virginia pay vs. national

Median plumber & pipefitter wages in Virginia are $59,560/year, -5% below the national median of $62,970. Wages scale with experience — journey-level workers earn substantially more than apprentices.

Where to find programs

Virginia has 89 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 — Virginia-specific outlook can vary from national figures.

Virginia Wage Spread

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

10th pct
$41,050
Median
$59,560
90th pct
$76,650
Middle 50% of workers earn $48,260$66,830

Current Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship Openings in Virginia

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

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

Organization City County
City of Alexandria Virginia Sanitation Authority Alexandria Alexandria City
High Flow Plumbing Alexandria Fairfax County
John C Flood, LLC Alexandria
Shapiro & Duncan, Inc Alexandria Alexandria City
Phoenix II Plumbing Arlington Arlington County
TRIPLE STATE PLUMBING Arlington Arlington County
VSC FIRE & SECURITY Ashland Hanover County
Wilhelm Mechanical LLC DBA Vern's Plumbing Bealeton Fauquier County
P. W. STILWELL PLUMBING & HEATING, INC Brandy Station Culpeper County
A-Able Plumbing, Inc. Broadway Rockingham County
Dan White Plumbing, Heating and Gas, LLC Carrollton Isle Of Wight County
BARNETT PLUMBING INC. Chesapeake Chesapeake City
Blue Water Plumbing Chesapeake Chesapeake City
CRAIG PLUMBING COMPANY, LTD. Chesapeake Chesapeake City
Nick's Plumbing, Inc. Chesapeake Chesapeake City
PRECISION PLUMBING and Drain Cleaning Chesapeake Chesapeake City
Premier Plumbing Chesapeake Chesapeake City
QUALITY PLUMBING & MECHANICAL, INC. Chesapeake Chesapeake City
Spruills Plumbing, LLC Chesapeake Chesapeake City
COLONIAL PLUMBING & HEATING Colonial Heights Colonial Heights City
Lockhart Plumbing and Remodelong Colonial Heights Colonial Heights City
CHAPMAN PLUMBING, HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING, INC. Covington Covington
Cavalier Fire Protection , LLC Dumfries Prince William County
American Automatic Sprinkler Co, Inc. Fairfax Fairfax County
FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS, INC Fairfax Station Fairfax County
+ 64 more sponsors in Virginia
Search apprenticeship.gov for current Plumber & Pipefitter openings

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

Plumber & Pipefitter Apprenticeship in Virginia

With 89 Plumber & Pipefitter-adjacent sponsors on record, Virginia ranks among the stronger states for this trade's apprenticeship access.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Plumber & Pipefitters make in Virginia?
The BLS reports a median wage of $59,560/yr for Plumber & Pipefitters in Virginia (May 2024 data). Experience, union membership, and specialization all affect where you fall in the range.
What is the length of a Plumber & Pipefitter apprenticeship program?
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.
Where can I apply for a Plumber & Pipefitter apprenticeship in Virginia?
Our directory surfaces 89 Plumber & Pipefitter-related registered sponsors in Virginia. 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 $29,780/yr in Virginia). 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 Virginia-based programs to compare locally — see the national list and filter.

Plumber & Pipefitter in Other States

Other Apprenticeships in Virginia

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