With an expected job growth of 6 percent over the next decade, plumbing is a profession that will continue to be in demand in the future.
Plumbers will be needed to maintain and repair plumbing systems in old buildings and to install systems in new construction projects.
If you live in Wisconsin and want to become a plumber, this page is for you.
A plumber’s annual wage may range from less than $40,000 to more than $100,000, depending on experience, industry of employment, and many other factors.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage reported by workers in this profession was calculated at $61,550, as of May 2023.
Most employers require plumbers to hold a trade school diploma or to have completed an apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships typically last between four and five years and include technical instruction and paid on-the-job training.
Most states also require plumbers to be licensed before being allowed to work independently.
#1Wisconsin Technical College System
About the School
Wisconsin Technical College System offers Plumber Apprenticeship programs available at several locations in Wisconsin, including Fox Valley, Gateway, Waukesha County, Milwaukee Area, and more.
This is a five-year training program that includes 7,500 hours of on-the-job training and 500 hours of paid-related instruction.
The topics included in this program are:
- Plumbing code
- Repair and service
- Materials
- Installation of fixtures and appliances
- System design
- Blueprint reading and isometric drawing
- And more
Applicants need a high school diploma or equivalent.
Contact Information
- Address: 4822 Madison Yards Way, N Tower, 5th Flr-WTCS, PO Box 7874, Madison, WI 53707-7874
- Phone: (608) 266-1207
- Website: https://www.wtcsystem.edu
#2Nicolet College
Nicolet College offers a Plumbing Apprentice training program.
Students learn how to install and repair pipes for water, gas, sewage, and drainage systems, and to install and repair sanitary facilities.
Apprentices who complete this program have the opportunity to transfer course credits toward the Technical Studies- Journey Worker degree.
Courses Offered
The program outline includes:
- Sanitary Drains
- Vents and Venting Systems
- Water Distribution
- Sanitary Drains
- Green Plumbing Applications
- Plumbing Advanced Topics
- And more
In total, the program includes 16 credits.
The program can be completed in five years and includes:
- 5,000 hours of on-the-job training
- 576 hours of paid-related classroom instruction
- 260 of non-paid related instruction
Contact Information
- Address: 5364 College Drive, Rhinelander, WI 54501
- Phone: 715.365.4410 or 800.544.3039
- Website: https://www.nicoletcollege.edu
#3Northeast Technical College
About the School
Northeast Technical College offers a Plumber Apprenticeship.
Plumber apprentices fall under the jurisdiction of apprenticeship law and rules plus plumbing law and codes.
Applicants need the following qualifications:
- High school graduates or holding a GED
- Being 18 or high school graduates at 17
- Passing the following assessments:
- ACT: 15 in Math and 16 in Reading
- Accuplacer Classic: 66 in Arithmetic, 33 in Algebra, and 66 in Reading
- Accuplacer Next Gen: 237 in Arithmetic, 235 in QAS, and 244 in Reading
- Valid driver’s license
- Completed application
The program can be completed in five years and requires the completion of at least 8000 hours of training.
Contact Information
- Address: 2740 West Mason St, Green Bay, WI 54303
- Phone: 920-498-5444
- Website: https://www.nwtc.edu
#4Fox Valley Technical College
About the School
Fox Valley Technical College offers a Plumbing apprenticeship program that awards 16 credits.
Students gain the skills to install the associated piping, fittings, and fixtures, and the code knowledge related to the trade.
They also learn to plan and layout plumbing systems around the work of other trades.
The program includes both paid and unpaid instruction and requires students to be first employed before starting their on-the-job and classroom instruction.
Courses Offered
The program outcomes include:
- Applying state plumbing code requirements to the installation and repair of POWTS systems
- Applying state plumbing code requirements to the installation and repair of sanitary drain systems
- Applying state plumbing code requirements to the installation and repair of venting systems
- Preparing for Journey level licensure examination
- Referring to the Wisconsin Administrative plumbing codes
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 1825 N. Bluemound Drive, Appleton, WI 54914-1643
- Phone: 800-735-FVTC (3882)
- Website: https://www.fvtc.edu
#5Northwood Technical College
About the School
Northwood Technical College offers the following Plumbing Apprentice required courses:
- Sanitary Drains- a two-credit course that includes a review of codes and trade practices related to sanitary drains, drainage systems, components, and applications
- Water Distribution-a two-credit course that covers commercial to single-family and private well pump systems
- Green Plumbing Applications- a course that provides an introduction to green applications and prepares students to take certification exams
- Plumbing Advanced Topics- a course that provides apprentices with the opportunity to select and complete an applied plumbing project in collaboration with the instructor
- And more
In total, the course available at the college awards 16 credits.
Contact Information
- Address: 1900 College Drive, Rice Lake, WI 54868
- Phone: 800.243.9482
- Website: https://www.northwoodtech.edu
#6Western Technical College
About the School
Western Technical College offers a Plumbing program that can be completed in five years.
The program includes:
- 7,500 hours of on-the-job training
- 500 hours of paid related instruction
- 260 hours of unpaid related instruction
- Additional related instruction may be required
Courses Offered
The topics covered by this program include:
- Plumbing code
- Repair and service
- Materials
- Installation of fixtures and appliances
- System design
- Trade math
- Safety
- Blueprint reading
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 400 7th Street North. La Crosse, WI 54601
- Phone: 608-785-9200
- Website: https://www.westerntc.edu
#7Chippewa Valley Technical College
About the School
Chippewa Valley Technical College offers a Plumbing Apprenticeship program that includes 16 credits.
The program is delivered face-to-face.
Estimated tuition, fees, and books sum up to approximately $2,750.
The program includes:
- Five years of not less than 8,000 hours
- A minimum of 7,428 hours of on-the-job training
- 572 hours of paid-related instruction
Classes are scheduled for one full day, eight hours, every two weeks during the school year.
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and be high school graduates or have a GED/HSED
Contact Information
- Address: 620 W. Clairemont Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701
- Phone: 715-833-6300
- Website: https://www.cvtc.edu
#8Gateway Technical College
Gateway Technical College offers more than 70 programs that give students the opportunity to pursue their passion.
Courses Offered
The college provides a Plumbing Apprenticeship program that helps students develop a variety of skills to use both hand and power tools as well as welding equipment to install sanitary facilities.
The program consists of over 8,000 hours of blended on-the-job and classroom training.
Applicants must be in good physical condition and able to complete active and strenuous work.
They must be at least 18 years of age and hold a high school graduate or equivalent.
Applicants must also pass an aptitude test, complete a personal interview, and submit an application.
The curriculum can be completed in approximately five years.
Contact Information
- Address: 3520 – 30th Avenue, Kenosha, WI 53144
- Phone: 1-800-247-7122
- Website: https://www.gtc.edu
#9University of Wisconsin Parkside
About the School
The University of Wisconsin Parkside offers a Foundations of Plumbing course that teaches students specialized plumbing skills and terminology for residential, commercial, and industrial plumbing systems.
The course also teaches math, geometry, and physical principles.
Students learn:
- Basic concepts of plumbing safety
- The function of components required for the construction of standard piping and water supply systems
- The use and meaning of specialty drawings
- The application and installation of standard plumbing fixtures
- How to identify piping materials
- And more
Courses Offered
The syllabus includes the following courses:
- Plumbing History, Codes, and Principles
- Tools of the Plumbing Trade
- First Aid and Safety
- Piping Materials
- Water Heaters
- Building Plans, Drawings, and Scale Rulers
- Sketching
- Soldering, Brazing, Cutting, and Gas Welding
- Cross-Connection Protection and Pipe Identification
- And more
Contact Information
- Address:900 Wood Road, PO Box 2000, Kenosha, WI 53141 US
- Phone: 855.520.6806
- Website: https://careertraining.uwp.edu
#10University of Wisconsin- Madison
About the School
The University of Wisconsin-Madison offers several Interdisciplinary Professional Programs, including a course on Understanding Plumbing Systems in Commercial Buildings.
The course has the following outcomes:
- Interpreting and applying plumbing codes and standards to commercial building projects
- Designing and evaluating plumbing systems for water supply, drainage, stormwater, and specialty applications
- Coordinating plumbing design and installation with other disciplines to ensure efficient and compliant systems
Fees for this program sum up to $1,595
Courses Offered
The curriculum includes:
- Plumbing Design Criteria
- Municipal Water Supply
- Domestic Water Piping
- Storm and Rain Water
- Natural Gas Requirements
- Science Lab Considerations
- Healthcare Facility Issues
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 601 University Avenue, 221 Madison, WI 53706
- Phone: 877-773-5866
- Website: https://interpro.wisc.edu
Schools Summary Table
Regional Salary in Wisconsin
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton, WI | 850 | $84,600 | $40.67 | $117,560 | $50,190 |
| Eau Claire, WI | 170 | $81,700 | $39.28 | $102,470 | $48,850 |
| Fond du Lac, WI | 280 | $80,130 | $38.53 | $121,600 | $45,170 |
| Green Bay, WI | 610 | $82,980 | $39.90 | $116,830 | $48,220 |
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | 130 | $74,730 | $35.93 | $102,580 | $47,720 |
| Kenosha, WI | 120 | $84,650 | $40.70 | $104,410 | $55,670 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | 240 | $80,240 | $38.58 | $103,370 | $48,210 |
| Madison, WI | 1,380 | $89,420 | $42.99 | $120,890 | $51,290 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 2,710 | $86,970 | $41.81 | $121,260 | $50,070 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | 210 | $82,010 | $39.43 | $104,720 | $52,000 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | 240 | $82,560 | $39.69 | $108,100 | $49,760 |
| Sheboygan, WI | 110 | $73,310 | $35.25 | $100,190 | $41,050 |
| Wausau, WI | 190 | $80,770 | $38.83 | $102,770 | $48,760 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Final Thoughts
If you want to start a rewarding career in trades, the plumbing profession is worth exploring.
Now that you have read our list of the best Plumbing schools in the state of Wisconsin, it’s time to continue the research and apply for the program that best meets your learning style and career aspirations.
