A commercial apprentice plumber learns the trade on new buildings, tenant build-outs and repair work in restaurants, schools and offices, working under a licensed plumber. Early on they stage pipe, set hangers and sleeves, cut cast iron and help run tests. Most also attend trade school at night or in blocks.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, plumbing and HVAC contractors · BLS, May 2025
The Apprentice Plumber plays a crucial role in supporting our licensed commercial plumbing team while learning the core principles and techniques of the trade. This position is designed for motivated individuals eager to develop technical skills and contribute to high-quality plumbing services in commercial projects.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Assist licensed plumbers with installation, maintenance, and repair tasks on commercial plumbing systems.
Learn and apply plumbing trade fundamentals under direct supervision.
Prepare and organize tools, equipment, and materials prior to job execution.
Follow safety protocols and company standards on every project.
Support troubleshooting and minor repair tasks to ensure timely project progress.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Deliver daily support by carrying materials and maintaining a clean worksite.
Assist in measuring, cutting, and assembling pipes and fittings as directed.
Communicate with team members and supervisors to report progress and challenges.
Attend on-the-job training sessions and safety briefings regularly.
Aid in routine maintenance checks and system diagnostics for commercial projects.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Task Completion Rate: Achieve 90% of assigned tasks within specified timelines.
Quality Assurance: Maintain a work accuracy level of 95%.
Safety Compliance: Adhere to safety guidelines with <3% incident reports.
Training Milestones: Successfully complete 100% of scheduled training sessions quarterly.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent with a keen interest in plumbing.
Basic math and mechanical aptitude to understand trade techniques.
Excellent communication and team collaboration skills.
Strong commitment to safety and attention to detail.
Ability to follow instructions and adapt to varied work environments.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous exposure to a plumbing environment or internship is a plus.
Familiarity with basic tool usage and maintenance.
Experience in reading blueprints and technical diagrams preferred.
Demonstrated interest in pursuing a plumbing certification or apprenticeship program.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds consistently.
Capability to work in various environments including outdoor sites, confined spaces, and moderate temperature conditions.
Frequent walking, standing, bending, and manual handling as part of daily duties.
Endurance to perform physically demanding tasks over extended periods.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard work hours typically from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM with occasional overtime.
Routine travel to multiple commercial sites within designated regions.
On-call duties may be required during peak periods or emergency situations.
Compliance with job site safety protocols and dress code.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly wage range between $18 to $24 per hour based on experience and certifications.
Performance-based bonuses available for meeting project and safety benchmarks.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits.
401k plan with company match options and opportunities for career advancement.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a dynamic and supportive work environment that emphasizes continuous learning and growth. Our culture is rooted in teamwork, safety, and excellence, empowering employees to excel in their roles while building long-term careers in the home services industry. We believe in investing in our team's development through comprehensive training programs, mentorship, and opportunities for advancement.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Where a commercial plumbing apprenticeship differs
Every plumbing apprentice starts by carrying pipe and learning to cut it. On commercial jobs the pipe is bigger, the work sits in trenches, slabs and open ceilings, and public projects tie the apprentice's pay to registration.
Registration sets the rate on public jobs
On Davis-Bacon jobs, you may pay less than the posted plumber rate only to an apprentice who is personally signed up in a program the Labor Department's Office of Apprenticeship, or a state agency it recognizes, has registered. A newcomer the program certifies for probation gets the same allowance for the first 90 days. Put an unregistered helper on the payroll at the apprentice rate, or go past the program's ratio, and you owe the posted rate for the work they actually did. Source: 29 CFR 5.5: Davis-Bacon contract clauses, apprentices and certified payroll (Cornell LII).
Washington starts every learner as a trainee
In Washington, learning the trade starts with a plumber trainee certificate from the Department of Labor and Industries. Until December 31, 2028, state law allows no more than one trainee on a job site for each certified journey level plumber working there as one. The supervising plumber must share that site with the trainee three-quarters of each workday or more. Trainees renew every year with eight hours of approved classes. Source: RCW 18.106.070: Plumber trainee certificates, supervision and ratios (Washington State Legislature).
Underground work happens in trenches
Commercial jobs start with sewer, storm and water lines under the slab and out to the street. Once a cut reaches 5 feet deep, OSHA requires a cave-in protective system, like a trench box, shoring or sloped walls, with one exception: a cut made wholly in stable rock. Shallower cuts still need a competent person to check the ground for signs of a cave-in. Teach new apprentices to stay out until the trench is cleared. Source: 29 CFR 1926.652: Protective systems for excavations (Cornell LII).
Core drilling makes silica dust
Every pipe through a concrete floor or wall needs a sleeve or a cored hole, and apprentices often run the drill. OSHA's silica table for construction sets the controls. A core drill mounted on a rig needs water fed to the cutting surface. A handheld or stand-mounted drill, such as a rotary hammer setting hanger anchors, needs a shroud with a dust collector, and holes are cleaned with a HEPA-filtered vacuum. Followed fully, the table calls for no respirator on either. Source: 29 CFR 1926.1153: Respirable crystalline silica in construction, Table 1 (Cornell LII).
Pipe gets hung from scissor lifts
Waste lines, water mains and storm drains run high in open ceilings, so much of the hanger work happens from a lift. OSHA's hazard alert on scissor lifts puts three basics first: a guardrail system in place, workers standing on the platform and never on the rails, and no one running a lift until trained. Training covers the maker's operating steps, load limits, nearby hazards such as electrical wires, and how to report defects. Source: OSHA Hazard Alert: Working safely with scissor lifts (OSHA 3842).
How much commercial apprentice plumbers make
The closest BLS group for commercial apprentice plumbers is Helpers--Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters. Helpers--Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $20.29 an hour ($42,210 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $42,360 median for Helpers--Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in all industries. About 38,600 of the 44,330 Helpers--Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in that survey work for plumbing and HVAC contractors.
BLS has no separate count for plumbing apprentices and files them with plumbers. This page uses the code for plumbers' helpers instead, which sits closer to entry pay on a commercial crew. Template pay is hourly plus overtime, with bonuses tied to project and safety goals. In a registered program, the program's standards set each raise.
Plumbing and HVAC contractors
$42,210$42,210 median Middle half $36,930–$47,620 10th–90th $33,660–$57,780
All industries
$42,360$42,360 median Middle half $36,940–$47,720 10th–90th $33,590–$57,780
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Plumbing and HVAC contractors
$33,660
$36,930
$42,210
$47,620
$57,780
All industries
$33,590
$36,940
$42,360
$47,720
$57,780
BLS reports plumbing and HVAC contractors together, residential and commercial. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Reads a tape to the sixteenth and works out simple pipe offsets
Willing to work in trenches, from lifts and above open ceilings once trained
Shows up with boots, hard hat and eye protection and keeps them on
Asks the journeyman when the drawing and the work in front of them don't match
Can commit to evening or block classes for the length of the program
Teach these on the job
Cutting no-hub cast iron and joining it with band couplings
Pressing copper and solvent welding PVC
Setting hangers, threaded rod and riser clamps
Running a core drill with water feed or dust collection
Setting up water and air tests on drain lines
Reading plumbing sheets, isometrics and fixture schedules
Apprentices usually bring hand tools: a tape, a level, pipe wrenches, a hacksaw and a marker. The company owns the press tools, cast iron snap cutters, core drills, threaders, test plugs and lifts. Say in the ad which gear you supply, since commercial tools cost more than a new apprentice can buy.
Commercial apprentice plumber interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Equipment you're not trained on
The foreman asks you to run pipe from a scissor lift, and you've never been trained to operate one. What do you do?
A strong answer: Tells the foreman they haven't been trained and doesn't operate it until they are, while offering to help another way.
Behavioral · Learning quickly
Tell me about something you had to learn quickly at work, school or volunteering, like a new tool or reading a set of plans.
A strong answer: Explains how they learned it (asking, watching, practicing), what was hard and how they knew they'd got it.
Treat the template's targets as a first draft and revise them once a few apprentices have gone through. Most of the evidence comes from the journeyman they work beside, so give that journeyman a short checklist to fill in.
Task Completion Rate
Count the tasks the journeyman hands out each week, such as hanging a run of rod or cutting a fitting list, and how many were done on time. Review them each Friday.
Quality Assurance
Track rework on the apprentice's pieces: joints that leaked on a water or air test, pipe cut short, or hangers the inspector made you move. Compare it with tasks done.
Safety Compliance
Log injuries and safety write-ups, and check that lift and silica training is current. Welcome near-miss reports so a safety bonus never teaches anyone to hide an injury.
Training Milestones
Pull class attendance and grades from the program each quarter, and add the job skills the journeyman signed off, such as setting a carrier or running a test.
Career path
Pre-apprentice or construction helperHauls pipe and fittings on site, often while waiting for a program opening.
Apprentice plumberSigns up with a program, goes to class and works on commercial crews.
Journeyman plumberEarns the license, then lays out, installs and tests a building's piping on their own.
Field supervisorPlans the crew's floors, orders material and walks the inspector through the work.
Should a commercial plumbing apprentice go through a union program?
Either path can work. The United Association, the plumbers and pipefitters union, says its apprenticeships usually last five years and pair paid work with classroom training, with raises as apprentices progress. An open shop can sponsor and register a program of its own or join a group program. For public work, what counts is registration: federal or state approval of the program, with each apprentice signed up in it.
How much does a commercial apprentice plumber make?
Helpers--Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $20.29 an hour ($42,210 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $36,930 and $47,620 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Can an apprentice plumber work without a journeyman nearby?
Usually not. In Washington, a trainee works under a certified plumber who must be on site with them for at least three-quarters of the workday. There is one exception. In the last six months of the required experience, a trainee who has finished or is enrolled in an approved apprenticeship or plumbing school program may work without direct on-site supervision. Rules elsewhere differ. On a big site, plan crews so each apprentice stays near their journeyman as the work spreads across floors.
Which tasks fill a commercial apprentice's first year?
Staging, prep and helping with tests. Expect them to unload and stage pipe by floor, cut threaded rod, set sleeves before a pour, carry test plugs and gauges, and clean up. By the end of the year, a good one cuts cast iron from a fitting list and hangs a run of pipe to the drawings with little help.
How is a commercial apprenticeship different from a residential one?
The hours go to different work. A residential apprentice learns on service calls and repipes inside homes. A commercial apprentice spends months on one building, works from drawings, handles larger pipe and heavier fittings, and sees more testing and inspection steps. Check how your state credits hours before you promise a mix, since the license exam may expect time in several kinds of work.
The template lists endurance. What should the ad say instead?
Name the work. The physical list stays in the template word for word, but its line about endurance over extended periods describes the worker, not the job. The ad itself can name the tasks: carrying cast iron and fittings up to the 50 pounds the template names, working from scissor lifts and in trenches, and full site days outdoors in heat and cold. Then put one plain question about those tasks to every applicant.
What should a commercial apprentice plumber ad include?
Where the jobs are and how far crews travel, the site start time, and whether you pay for classes and books. Say whether you register apprentices, whether any work is on prevailing wage jobs, and what tools and protective gear you supply. Lay out the raise steps so applicants can see the road to journeyman.
