How to Become a Plumber in Mississippi

If you’re searching for a fulfilling and practical career in Mississippi, you should consider becoming a plumber.

This is a trade that sometimes goes undetected yet is extremely important to our daily lives.

Plumbing is the backbone of modern infrastructure, ensuring clean water supply and efficient wastewater removal.

If this sounds like the career you would thrive in, let this article serve you as a guide on how to become a plumber in Mississippi.

How to Become a Plumber in Mississippi – Step by Step

To begin your plumbing journey in Mississippi you must be at least 16 years old.

Some employers and programs will hire you as an entry-level employee at 16 while others will require you to be at least 18 years old.

In addition to this, you must be a High School Graduate or have the GED equivalent.

There are many options to choose from when it comes to your plumbing training in Mississippi:

• Technical or Community College courses usually take 2-years to complete
• Trade school usually takes anywhere from 6 to 9 months to complete
• Apprenticeship program
• Work directly under the supervision of a licensed journeyman and receive on-the-job training as an entry-level worker

Depending on which of these paths you choose you will either have exams and get certifications within the program or will need to take the needed exams in addition to your training.

A state license is not necessary if you are doing residential or commercial plumbing work for less than $10,000, but you will need to find out the local regulations by getting in touch with the building official or permit office.

However, If you want to work on projects bigger than $10,000 you will need to get either:

• Residential Contracting License
• Commercial Contracting License

Residential Contracting License

You need a Residential Contracting License if you want to work on:

• New residential construction over $50,000
• Residential remodeling over $10,000
• Residential roofing over $10,000

To receive your Residential Contracting License you must submit an application form, pay the $50 application fee, and pass the exams.

The examination consists of 2 exams:

• The Plumbing Trade exam
• The Law and Business exam

The exam fee is $240 total or $120 per portion.

The exams have a 3-hour time limit, and you need a score of 70% or higher to pass and go on to get your Residential Contracting License.

Commercial Contracting License

You need a Commercial Contracting License if you want to work on:

• Commercial construction over $50,000
• Any work done on public fire protection systems over $5,000
• Any work done on private fire protection systems over $10,000

To receive your Commercial Contracting License you must submit an application form, pay the $400 application fee, and pass the exams.

The examination consists of 2 exams:

• The Plumbing Trade exam
• The Law and Business exam

The exam fee is $240 total or $120 per portion.

The exams have a 3-hour time limit, and you need a score of 70% or higher to pass and go on to get your Residential Contracting License.

Plumbing Schools in Mississippi

Mississippi offers a lot of different options for your plumbing training from vocational school, community colleges, and quick courses, to apprenticeship programs and entry-level worker positions.

Here are some of the best options to choose from

Hinds Community College

Hinds Community College offers a program called Plumbing & Construction Technology.

This program offers 3 different courses:

• Associate of Applied Science: 60–62 hrs
• Career Certificate: 30 hrs
• Technical Certificate:45 hrs

When you graduate from this program, you can take the journeyperson’s exam(s) and become employed as a supervisor, instructor, material expediter, inspector, irrigation system installer, sprinkler system installer, residential plumber, domestic/commercial gas filter, estimator, consultant, employer, or contractor.

You must maintain at least a grade C in each of the Plumbing and Construction Technology courses.

Anyone with grades below the required C must repeat the course.

Associate of Applied Science classes

• Technical English or English Composition I 3–4 hours
• Public Speaking I or Interpersonal Communication 3 hours
• Social/Behavioral Science Elective 3 hours
• Humanities/Fine Arts Elective 3 hours
• Mathematics/Science Elective 3–4 hours

Total Hours 60–62

Career Certificate classes

• Fundamentals of Plumbing/Pipefitting 3 hours
• Blueprint Reading for Plumbing 3 hours
• Low-Pressure Boilers 1 hour
• Piping Level/Transit 3 hours
• Drainage and Sewer Systems 3 hours
• Heating Devices 2 hours
• Gas Piping 2 hours
• Domestic Systems 2 hours
• Plumbing Fixtures 2 hours
• Backflow Cross Connection 2 hours
• Advanced Plumbing Lab 3 hours
• Career/Technical Electives 4 hours

Total Hours 30

Technical Certificate classes

• Tacking, Brazing, and Burning 3 hours
• Sketching 3 hours
• Rigging and Signaling 2 hours
• Special Project in Plumbing 1 hour
• Cost Estimating 3 hours
• Career/Technical Elective 3hours

Total hours 45

To learn more about any of these courses, the program, tuition, program length, or how to apply visit their website.

Salary

Mississippi pays its plumbers a fair wage for their maximum effort to ensure the plumbing systems run smoothly and seamlessly throughout the state.

The annual wage can vary anywhere between $42124 and $71461.

The current average annual wage is estimated at $56735.

Southaven has the current highest annual average wage for plumbers in Mississippi, estimated at a great $58866.

Annual Salary Range: Annual Salary by Location:

Location	Avg. Annual Salary
Southaven	$58,866
Jackson	$56,942
Greenville	$56,557
Meridian	$56,391
Biloxi	$56,385
Vicksburg	$56,370
Pascagoula	$56,124
Gulfport	$55,939
Hattiesburg	$55,590
Tupelo	$53,668

Regional Salary in Mississippi

* Salary information based on the May 2023 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, OCC Code 47-2152, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I renew my Mississippi plumbing license?

All plumbing licenses in Mississippi expire annually on the date of your initial licensure, so you should renew your license by then.

How much does it cost to renew my plumbing license in Mississippi?

Renewal fees are different for the different types of licenses.

• Commercial Contracting License – $400
• Residential Contracting License – $100

Where are plumbing exams being taken in Mississippi?

In Mississippi, you can take the plumbing exams in Jackson City.

You can also take the Mississippi plumbing exams in other cities in different states including:

• Baton Rouge, LA
• New Orleans, LA
• Shreveport, LA
• Huntsville, AL
• Birmingham, AL
• Montgomery, AL
• Mobile, AL

Plumber Info by State