Plumber Classes in Nebraska (Top Schools)

Nebraska map

Search Plumber Programs

Get information on Plumber programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

Sponsored Listings
In the state of Nebraska, there is not a regulating body for plumbing licensure, but the issuing of journeyman and master plumber licenses are regulated on a city-by-city basis.

With the aim to help you pursue a plumbing career in Nebraska, in our article you will find a guide to getting licensed in the city of Omaha.

Omaha Plumbing License Reciprocity

According to the Omaha municipal code, license reciprocity will be extended to people who are licensed as journeymen in a city of equivalent size that requires similar qualification criteria.

To get the reciprocity, you will have to submit the evidence of your licensure and the application to the plumbing board.

Omaha Master Plumbing License Requirements

An Omaha master plumber’s license can be given to individuals who have:

  • Four consecutive years of experience working as a licensed journeyman OR
  • Evidence of qualifying as a master plumber in a city of equivalent size that requires similar qualification criteria OR
  • If the city where the applicant has worked does not require instruction to obtain a license, the plumbing board may accept a properly issued plumbing license from that city but only if the applicant demonstrates a minimum of 12 consecutive years of plumbing installation experience with a minimum of 300 hours worked each of the 12 years to accrue a minimum total of 21,000 hours.
  • Successfully passed the master plumber examination

Master plumbers who come from other cities in Nebraska can be licensed by endorsement, but only if they were licensed and employed in a city of equal size and training standards of Omaha.

When it comes to a Master Plumber examination in Omaha, subjects covered by the examination shall include the knowledge of all provisions of the chapter, state law, and other applicable rules and regulations pertaining to plumbing, as well as the ability to design, direct and supervise the installation of plumbing systems.

Omaha Plumbing Journeyman License Requirements

To become a licensed journeyman plumber in Omaha you must meet the following requirements:

  • Complete four years of classroom instruction, including 300 hours of plumbing construction OR
  • Completion of a course of study with an equivalent number of instructional hours and on-the-job experience hours as required by a certified city program OR
  • Completion of a training period extending at least seven consecutive years, where the applicant worked a minimum of 300 hours each of the seven years to accrue a minimum total of 7,000 hours
  • Licensed as a journeyman in a city of equivalent size that requires similar qualification criteria OR
  • If the applicant has worked in a city that does not require instruction to obtain a license, the plumbing board may accept a properly issued plumbing license or sufficient on-the-job training of this applicant but only if he/she can demonstrate a minimum of eight consecutive years of plumbing installation experience with a minimum of 300 hours worked each of the eight years to accrue a minimum total of 14,000 hours.
  • Complete a consecutive four-year apprenticeship approved by the city
  • Pass the journeyman plumbing exam

Plumbing Journeyman Exam

The Omaha journeyman exam consists of questions related to both practical and theoretical knowledge of plumbing, building drainage, venting, and sanitation.

Prior to being allowed to take the exam, applicants will need to:

  • Submit an exam application
  • Pay applicable fees
  • Verify education and apprenticeship credentials with the city plumbing board

Upon satisfactory completion of all license prerequisites and the submission of the written application for examination for the applicable license, the plumbing board has to approve an eligible applicant to sit for the appropriate license examination.

The approved applicant is obliged to pay the examination fee to the recording secretary of the plumbing board prior to sitting for the appropriate license examination.

Examination fees are the following:

  •  Master Plumber – $75.00
  • Journeyman Plumber – $50.00
  • Lawn sprinkling contractor – $25.00
  • Water conditioning contractor – $25.00
  •  Water conditioning installer – $25.00
  • Sewer layer – $30.00

License holders are required to submit proof of their continuing education participation to the plumbing board by December 31 of each calendar year.

The hours of continuing education required for each license are as follows:

  • Master Plumber – 8 hours
  • Journeyman Plumber – 8 hours
  • Lawn sprinkling contractor – 4 hours
  • Water conditioning contractor – 4 hours
  •  Water conditioning installer – 4 hours
  • Sewer layer – 4 hours

Once the plumbing board issues a certificate to a licensed journeyman, he/she must carry it with himself/herself whenever engaged in plumbing work.

Omaha Plumbing Apprenticeship Requirements

A person who is interested in becoming an apprentice under a master plumber must:

  • Be 18 years of age or older
  • Have education equivalent to a high school diploma or GED
  • Submit an apprentice agreement and registration fee
  • Registered annually with the plumbing board secretary

The plumbing board shall certify those apprenticeship programs that have a specific affirmative action plan, including measurable performance objectives, detailing methods to recruit members of minority groups and women and a minimum of four consecutive years of practical on-the-job training with a minimum of 300 hours each of the seven years to accrue a minimum total of 7,000 hours.

Furthermore, a minimum of 696 classroom instruction hours related to the plumbing trade as outlined in section 49-255 is required as well.

The process of registering as an apprentice in Omaha is easy and you can reach the plumbing board secretary by phone at (402) 444-5150 ext. 2062, and all you need to do is to provide your name, address, and place of employment.

Registration expires on December 30 of each year.

The Nebraska department of labor has an apprenticeship portal which is specially designed for those seeking apprenticeship opportunities.

Omaha Professional License Search

You can search for and verify your Omaha license on the City of Omaha license and permit search portal.

Salary

The average Plumber salary in Nebraska is $52,710, but the numbers are not the same in all the cities of Nebraska, due to the fact that plumbers salary depends on various factors. 

Annual Salary Range:

$45K
$52K
$60K

Average Salary of Plumbers in Nebraska

City NameSalary
Omaha$54,345
Lincoln$54,083
Bellevue$54,345
Grand Island$53,336
Hastings$53,336
Kearney$53,336
Fremont$53,534
North Platte$51,712
Norfolk$47,307
Columbus$53,336
* Salary information last updated 2024

Regional Salary

RegionEmployedAvg. Annual SalaryAvg. Hourly PayTop 10% Annual SalaryBottom 10% Annual Salary
Grand Island, NE90$56,400$27.11$81,440$35,340
Lincoln, NE530$53,630$25.79$81,230$35,210
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA1,830$67,150$32.29$93,280$37,490
* Salary information based on the May 2022 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, OCC 47-2152, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.


This page is also available in Spanish.

Find a Program