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Plumber · California

Plumber programs in California

In California, a first-year plumber is either paid — or paying.

Tuition on the school path is real money. First-year pay on the apprenticeship path is a paycheck. Seats are not guaranteed on either side.

Plumber in the United States

Updated Apr 2026

UA Local 78 · Los Angeles plumber JATC — $20–$27/hr

First-year share of LA plumber scale · Apr 2026

Year one in California

One paid path and one school path. The full list is below.

Paid training · listed first

Los Angeles plumbing JATC (UA 78)

UA Local 78 · Los Angeles

Tuition: $0
First-year wage: $20–$26/hr

You pay · no paycheck in class

California community college plumbing / pipefitting

CCC campuses with active programs · Select CA campuses

Tuition: $1,800–$8,000
First-year wage: $0 during school

All programs on this page

Los Angeles plumbing JATC (UA 78)

ApprenticeshipSeats: Waitlist

Tuition / net cost

Paid OJT. Related instruction included.

First-year wage

$20–$26/hr

Percentage of Local 78 plumber scale.

Term

5 years

Southern California plumber packages are among the highest nationally

UA Local 78·Los Angeles

Source: UA 78 public apprenticeship materials (2026-03)

San Francisco plumbing JATC (UA 38)

ApprenticeshipSeats: Unknown

Tuition / net cost

Paid OJT.

First-year wage

$24–$31/hr

High-COL Bay Area first-year scale.

Term

5 years

Bay Area plumber packages at the national top

UA Local 38·San Francisco

Source: UA 38 public program notes (2026-04)

California community college plumbing / pipefitting

Trade schoolSeats: Open

Tuition / net cost

$1,800–$8,000

In-state community-college range.

First-year wage

$0 during school

Unpaid classroom. CA entry wages after completion are strong.

Term

1–2 years

California plumber wages well above the U.S. median

CCC campuses with active programs·Select CA campuses

Source: CCCCO catalogs (2026-02)

Other plumber states

Get plumber numbers for another state

We only write when new year-one numbers go up.