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Plumbing Schools in Florida
24 schools in Florida offer plumbing-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 49 registered apprenticeship programs in Florida train plumbing apprentices — see apprenticeships.
Occupation pay is what working plumbing professionals in Florida earn (all experience levels) — school "earnings" figures above are medians for each school's recent federally-aided students across all its programs, which read lower.
Plumbing licensing in Florida: State license required
Florida licenses plumbing contractors at the state level through the DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board: a Certified Plumbing Contractor license takes 4 years of experience (at least 1 year as a foreman; 2,000 hours = 1 year) or a college/experience combination, plus trade and business/finance exams. There is no state-level journeyman license — journeyman cards are issued by counties (e.g., Miami-Dade, Broward, Hillsborough), and registered apprenticeship time counts toward the 4-year requirement.
Official source: Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR) · Exam: State certification exams: Plumbing trade exam + Business & Finance exam · Typical requirement: Certified Plumbing Contractor: 4 years of experience as a worker or foreman (at least 1 year as foreman; 1 year = 2,000 hours), or a combination of college credit and experience; a 4-year construction-related degree can substitute for up to 3 years. Registered contractors qualify via a local competency license and work only in that jurisdiction.
Official license records related to plumbing in Florida
From the U.S. Department of Labor's License Finder — these may include contractor, specialty, or related licenses beyond entry-level requirements:
- Septic Tank Contractor — FL Department of Health~Division of Medical Quality Assurance
- Registered Tank Lining Applicator — FL Dept. of Business and Professional Regulation~Division of Professions
- Registered Precision Tank Tester — FL Dept. of Business and Professional Regulation~Division of Professions
- Certified Plumbing Contractor — FL Dept. of Business and Professional Regulation~Division of Professions
- Registered Plumbing Contractor — FL Dept. of Business and Professional Regulation~Division of Professions
- Provisional Plumbing Inspector — FL Dept. of Business and Professional Regulation~Division of Professions
Wage and license data provided by CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and Minnesota DEED.
Schools, ranked by earnings per tuition dollar
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radford M Locklin Technical College | Milton | public | $987 | 65.4% | $35,997 |
| Manatee Technical College | Bradenton | public | $1,808 | 71.7% | $38,129 |
| Erwin Technical College | Tampa | public | $2,796 | 79.8% | $37,966 |
| Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College | Miami Lakes | public | $2,839 | 5.8% | $35,014 |
| Hillsborough College | Tampa | public | $3,861 | 34.1% | $40,782 |
| Indian River State College | Fort Pierce | public | $3,815 | 44.3% | $38,315 |
| Pensacola State College | Pensacola | public | $3,957 | 36.9% | $36,739 |
| Miami Dade College | Miami | public | $5,463 | 41.2% | $40,654 |
| Osceola Technical College | Kissimmee | public | $6,186 | 49.6% | $38,484 |
| Daytona State College | Daytona Beach | public | $7,177 | 41.6% | $37,096 |
| Sheridan Technical College | Hollywood | public | $6,677 | 69.5% | $33,166 |
| Tallahassee State College | Tallahassee | public | $7,781 | 40.5% | $37,561 |
| Seminole State College of Florida | Sanford | public | $8,970 | 44.5% | $41,733 |
| Santa Fe College | Gainesville | public | $11,098 | 43.9% | $41,631 |
| Atlantic Technical College | Coconut Creek | public | $10,414 | 60.3% | $38,560 |
| Orange Technical College-South Campus | Orlando | public | $9,215 | 40.2% | $33,350 |
| The College of the Florida Keys | Key West | public | $13,636 | 42.9% | $42,508 |
| Lively Technical College | Tallahassee | public | $10,307 | 52.7% | $30,413 |
| Suncoast Technical College | Sarasota | public | $16,917 | 50.5% | $40,621 |
| Orange Technical College-West Campus | Ocoee | public | $13,700 | 73.2% | $25,145 |
| Pinellas Technical College-St. Petersburg | Saint Petersburg | public | $23,620 | 56.3% | $36,188 |
| South Florida Institute of Technology | Miami | private for-profit | $31,695 | 79.5% | $28,570 |
| Fort Myers Technical College | Fort Myers | public | not reported | 81.6% | $40,082 |
| Florida International Training Institute | Miami | private for-profit | $27,008 | 82.4% | not reported |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Figures are institution-wide federal medians for each school as a whole — not plumbing graduates specifically. Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
Common questions: Plumbing school in Florida
- How much do Plumbing schools cost in Florida?
- The median annual net price (what students actually pay after aid) across 24 plumbing schools in Florida is $7,781. Individual schools range widely — the table above shows each school's real cost, not sticker price.
- Do you need a license to work as a plumbing in Florida?
- Florida licenses plumbing contractors at the state level through the DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board: a Certified Plumbing Contractor license takes 4 years of experience (at least 1 year as a foreman; 2,000 hours = 1 year) or a college/experience combination, plus trade and business/finance exams. There is no state-level journeyman license — journeyman cards are issued by counties (e.g., Miami-Dade, Broward, Hillsborough), and registered apprenticeship time counts toward the 4-year requirement.
- Can you get paid to train as a plumbing in Florida?
- Yes — Florida has 49 registered apprenticeship programs where you earn wages while you train instead of paying tuition. See the plumbing apprenticeships page for the current list.
- What does a plumbing earn in Florida?
- Working plumbing professionals in Florida earn a median of $52,910 per year, ranging from about $38,940 to $73,610 (U.S. Department of Labor). This is what people in the job earn, which differs from a school's reported graduate-earnings figure.
Aid deadlines for plumbing programs in Florida
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Plumbing schools in nearby states
- Plumbing schools in Delaware
- Plumbing schools in Alabama
- Plumbing schools in Arizona
- Plumbing schools in Arkansas
- Plumbing schools in California
- Plumbing schools in Colorado
- Plumbing schools in Connecticut
See all states & the full plumbing guide →