Journeyman Plumber Resume Example
Professional Journeyman Plumber resume example. Get hired faster with our ATS-optimized template.
Journeyman Plumber Salary Range (United States)
$60,000 - $95,000
Why This Resume Works
License number on the page
Hiring managers in TX, FL, and CA verify license numbers in seconds via the state board portal. Including the exact TSBPE number says you have nothing to hide.
Crew leadership at journeyman level
Running a 2-3 person crew on a sub-job with a real dollar figure is the strongest signal that you're ready for foreman work next.
Specialty signal
Backflow testing and medical gas brazing are premium specialties. A journeyman with ASSE 5110 plus 6010 commands $5-9/hour over base scale in healthcare metros.
Healthcare and pressure-decay testing
Medical gas brazed under nitrogen purge with third-party particulate and pressure-decay verification is the highest credible quality signal a plumbing journeyman can put on a CV. Reference NFPA 99 explicitly.
Engineer-of-record save
Catching a routing error before construction is the kind of story that gets a journeyman recommended for foreman. Lead with the dollar figure avoided.
Essential Skills
- State journeyman plumber license
- ASSE 5110 Backflow Assembly Tester
- IPC 2021 + state amendments
- ASSE 6010 Medical Gas Installer
- OSHA-30 Construction
- DWV, water distribution, and gas piping
- Crew leadership at 2-3 person scope
- EPA Section 608 small appliances
- Healthcare DWV per FGI Guidelines
- Acid-waste and laboratory piping
- Medical gas brazing under nitrogen purge
- RIDGID SeeSnake CS65X drain camera
- Bluebeam, ProCore field reporting
Level Up Your Resume
A plumber CV is read by people who can spot a fake at a glance, foremen, project managers, and field superintendents who know the difference between somebody who has actually pressed 240 ProPress copper joints and somebody who copied a job description off Indeed. The strongest plumber resumes do three things consistently: name the pipe class, diameter, and material of the systems they touched, cite specific code sections (IPC 712.2 venting, ASSE 1013 RPZ, NFPA 99 medical gas) they applied, and quantify outcomes in air-test pass rates, dollar variance to budget, or apprentices brought across an exam. Generic tasks like 'installed plumbing' get filtered out before a callback.
Best Practices for Journeyman Plumber CV
- Put your state license number on the page. 'TSBPE #J-58217' beats 'licensed in Texas' every time. Hiring managers verify in seconds via the state board portal.
- Lead with crew leadership and dollar scope. 'Led a 2-apprentice crew on a $1.6M sub-job, delivered 11 days under GC schedule' is the language of someone ready for foreman next.
- Highlight specialty certs. ASSE 5110 backflow, ASSE 6010 medical gas, EPA 608 are premium signals. List them with the certifying body and number.
- Quantify inspection track record. 'Passed all 6 city inspections on first walk-through' or '96% first-time pass rate over the last 24 months' is the journeyman version of an SLA.
- Name the systems by code reference. 'NFPA 99 medical gas brazed under nitrogen purge', '4-inch CPVC Schedule 80 acid-waste', '8-inch ductile iron domestic main' are how you signal real exposure.
- Include an engineer-of-record save. Catching a drawing or coordination error before construction with a dollar figure is the strongest career-trajectory signal you can drop in 2 lines.
- List the GCs and mechanical contractors you've worked under. TDIndustries, J.C. Cannistraro, Limbach, Murphy Mechanical, McKinstry, MMC Contractors are recognizable names that pre-qualify your experience.
Common Journeyman Plumber CV Mistakes
- Missing license number. 'Texas journeyman plumber' without the TSBPE number is a yellow flag. Include the exact number.
- Aged-out specialty references. Listing UPC 1991 instead of IPC 2021 or referencing dropped product lines (e.g. discontinued Sharkbite-style fittings on commercial spec) makes you look out of date.
- No dollar volume. Sub-jobs have a real dollar number. 'Led the plumbing scope' without a $300K-$1.6M anchor is invisible.
- No mentor signal. Apprentices passing under your hours-card signature is a foreman-track signal. If you have it, lead with it.
- Generic 'commercial experience'. Healthcare, lab, food production, hospitality, multifamily are all 'commercial' but pay differently. Be specific.
- No specialty certs visible. ASSE 5110, ASSE 6010, EPA 608, OSHA-30 should be in their own block, not buried in the experience text.
- No employer brand mention. TDIndustries, J.C. Cannistraro, Limbach, McKinstry, Murphy Mechanical, MMC Contractors are recognizable. Name them.
Tactical Tips for Journeyman Plumber CV
- Open with license number and state. 'Texas Journeyman Plumber, TSBPE #J-58217' is the headline.
- Specialty stack second line. ASSE 5110, ASSE 6010, EPA 608. These open doors and add $4-9/hour.
- Lead with crew leadership. 'Led a 2-apprentice crew on a $1.6M sub-job' is the journeyman-to-foreman trajectory line.
- Quote first-time pass rate. 96% over 24 months on city inspections is rare. Make it a stand-alone bullet, not buried text.
- Name the GCs and mechanical contractors. TDIndustries, J.C. Cannistraro, Limbach, Murphy, McKinstry, MMC are known to project managers. Name them.
- Include an engineer-of-record save. A drawing error caught with a dollar figure is the foreman-recommendation line.
- Cap at 2 pages. A journeyman doesn't need 3. Cut the apprentice-era jobs to one summary line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Recommended Certifications
OSHA-30 Construction
OSHA Outreach Training Program
ASSE 5110 Backflow Assembly Tester
American Society of Sanitary Engineering
ASSE 6010 Medical Gas Installer
American Society of Sanitary Engineering
State Journeyman Plumber License
State licensing board (TSBPE, CSLB, DBPR, NYC DOB)
EPA Section 608 Refrigerant Handling
EPA
IAPMO Cross-Connection Control Specialist
IAPMO
First Aid / CPR / AED
American Red Cross or American Heart Association
Interview Preparation
Plumber interviews are usually conducted by the foreman or general foreman who will run you on the job, not by HR. Expect a mix of code knowledge questions (specific IPC sections, fixture-unit calculations, vent sizing), tool and material questions (which fitting type for what application, soldering vs ProPress vs ProPEX), and scenario questions (what you'd do if you found a 4-inch sanitary line crossing a fire-rated wall mid-rough-in). At master and foreman level, expect questions about scope writing, scheduling, and crew management. Bring a copy of your license, a recent pay stub or W-2 to confirm hours, and your apprenticeship completion certificate.
Industry Applications
How your skills translate across different sectors
Commercial Construction
Tenant build-outs, retail, office towers, hospitality. 2-inch through 6-inch domestic water, 4-inch and 6-inch sanitary, fixture counts in the hundreds, ASSE 1013 RPZ on every service. Tight schedules and AHJ inspection cadence. Foremen and journeymen with strong inspection pass rates command premium pay.
Healthcare & Life-Safety
Hospitals, surgery centers, labs. NFPA 99 medical gas (oxygen, nitrogen, medical air, vacuum), FGI Guidelines, acid-waste neutralization in CPVC Schedule 80, lab-grade DI water systems. Failure cost is high, so pay scales accordingly. ASSE 6010 medical gas installer cert is non-negotiable.
Industrial & Process
Refineries, chemical plants, food production, pharma. High-pressure process piping in Schedule 40 and Schedule 80 black steel and stainless, USP <797> compounding water, 21 CFR 211 sanitary construction. Continuous-process facilities pay top scale because downtime cost is enormous.
Multifamily & Hospitality
Hotel, apartment, condo. PEX-A water distribution riser stacks, cast-iron and PVC DWV, in-wall fixture supports, low-flow Sloan and Kohler fixtures. Volume work, repetitive details, fast trim-out crews. Apprentice-heavy projects with master and foreman supervision.
Service & Drain Cleaning
Roto-Rooter, Mr. Rooter, ARS / Rescue Rooter, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing. Residential and light commercial service, sewer cleaning with RIDGID K-7500, RIDGID SeeSnake video inspection, water heater replacement. Service plumbers carry their own truck stock and bill by ticket.
Water Utility & Distribution
Municipal water and wastewater utilities. 8-inch through 24-inch ductile iron mains, valve work, hydrant installation, sewer lift stations. Public-sector benefits, pension, and union scale. Top requires AWWA standards knowledge and confined-space cert.
Salary Intelligence
NEGOTIATION STRATEGYNegotiation Tips
Plumber pay is heavily structured by the local UA / PHCC wage agreement (union side) or the regional prevailing wage (non-union). Within that structure, leverage comes from: specialty certifications (ASSE 5110 backflow, ASSE 6010 medical gas, EPA 608), multi-state licensure for masters, perfect inspection pass record, and the ability to lead crews. Always ask about per diem, vehicle allowance, and tool allowance separately, these can add $400-1,500/month on top of base. Master and foreman roles increasingly negotiate completion bonuses (1-3% of project value) for projects delivered under budget.
Key Factors
Top pay drivers for plumbers in 2025: (1) state of license, TX, FL, CA pay $4-9/hour above national mean; (2) specialty, healthcare medical gas, industrial process, lab-grade DI water > general commercial > residential; (3) union vs non-union, union typically pays $3-6/hour higher base in major metros but with fewer hours flexibility; (4) crew leadership signal, apprentice sign-off and foreman experience expand pay range substantially; (5) inspection record, perfect first-time pass streak is rare and worth bringing up in negotiation.