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Plumbing school in Washington

43 plumbing programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

19 schools offer these plumbing programs, and Washington has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Plumbers install and repair pipes, fixtures and piping systems. Most learn the trade in a four- or five-year apprenticeship, and most states and some cities require plumbers to be licensed.1

In Washington, 1 of the 43 programs takes students without a high school diploma, 39 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 3 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 43 programs here are plumbing apprenticeship (29 programs), short course or single level (11 programs) and plumbing certificate or diploma (3 programs).

See the 43 programs

How much does plumbing school cost in Washington?

$1,125 to $1,500 is what most plumbing programs in Washington cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 13 programs with a price. All of them: $1,125 to $19,958

In the typical program

Finished the program
67%
Working 6 months later
89%
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
Only 8 of 43 programs report it
Length
12 to 250 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Washington may also offer plumbing school. How these figures are made

Is there free plumbing school in Washington?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: paid apprenticeships, financial aid and the GI Bill

All 43 plumbing programs in Washington approved for WIOA funding

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43 programs

How to pay for plumbing school in Washington

WIOA funding can pay for plumbing school in Washington

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Paid plumbing apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is a job: you're paid to learn, with a raise as your skills grow, and most include classroom teaching. You apply to the employer or the program sponsor. Ask what you'll pay for the classroom part and what you'll earn on the job.6

Financial aid and grants for plumbing school

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.78

GI Bill for plumbing school

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.9

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Quick facts: Plumbing school in Washington

lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
3rd of 21
most plumbing programs of any state, after Texas
2nd

State comparisons use the same figures as the plumbing school by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Plumbing apprenticeships in Washington

Most plumbers train in a four- or five-year apprenticeship. Each year usually brings about 2,000 hours of paid work on the job plus classes in safety, local plumbing codes and blueprint reading. Unions, trade associations and businesses run the programs; some people start as helpers or with a pre-apprenticeship course. To work on your own, states and cities often ask for two to five years of experience and a passed exam.1

You apply to the employer or the program sponsor, not through a school.6 The Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Finder lists openings by place and job. This page lists 29 plumbing apprenticeships approved for WIOA funding in Washington, none of them with a price listed. Ask what you'll pay for the classes and what you'll earn on the job.

Show only the 29 plumbing apprenticeships

What is an apprenticeship, and can WIOA pay for one?

Plumbing school in Seattle, Olympia, Kennewick and other Washington cities

Areas with 10 or more programs have a page of their own. Choosing another area filters the program list above. 2 more programs are in 2 other areas.

Other training in Washington

How plumbing school compares with the rest of skilled trades: Trade school programs in Washington

Where the Washington plumbing program numbers come from

Which Washington plumbing programs are on this list?

These are the plumbing programs Washington approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).10 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Washington offers.

How the prices and results of Washington plumbing programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about plumbing school in Washington

Show the 10 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Labor, Apprenticeship.gov: Discover Apprenticeship: Earn While You Learn Today (fact sheet)
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  8. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  9. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  10. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List