Side-by-side license comparison
| Metric | Plumber | Professional Engineer (PE) |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Trades | Engineering |
| Median Salary | $63,530 | $100,640 |
| Avg Initial Fee | $151 | $340 |
| Difficulty | Medium-High | Very High |
| Education | 4-5 year apprenticeship | BS Engineering + 4 years experience |
| Exam | Journeyman Plumber Exam | FE + PE Exam |
| Time to License | 4-5 years | 8 years |
| Renewal Period | Every 3 yr | Every 2 yr |
| CE Hours / Cycle | 16 hrs | 30 hrs |
| States Requiring | 37 of 53 | 53 of 53 |
Professional Engineer (PE) earns $37,110 more per year on average. Over a 10-year career span, that adds up to approximately $371,100 in additional earnings.
The LicenseWize editorial team aggregates and verifies licenses data from Bureau of Labor Statistics & State Licensing Boards. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.