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Welding in Missouri
These pages summarize rules to help you plan. They are not legal advice. Before you place students at a work site or change a program, check with your state agency, your district's counsel and your insurance carrier.
In short
Missouri welding students can earn the AWS IRC with a listed exam and an AWS-approved weld; state child labor law does not reach 16- and 17-year-olds.
State program: CIP 48.0508, Skilled Technical Sciences (course codes: Confirm with the agency)
What a high school can deliver
The AWS welding IRC when a student passes a listed welding exam plus an AWS-approved weld; no license exists.
Credentials students can earn
AWS welding credential (IRC): pass an NCCER, NOCTI, Precision or SENSE welding exam plus at least one weld approved by an AWS-certified teacher or inspector; NCCER Welding alone not an IRC; OSHA-10 stackable only
Age and hour requirements
No welder license found. RSMo 294.040 bars children under 16 where metals are heated; no state bar at 16-17, where federal HO 8 and HO 14 apply. Registered apprentice federal floor 16.
Other agencies involved
None
Who can teach it
CTAC: bachelor's + 4,000 hours, associate + 5,000, or 6,000 hours in 10 years; 6 semester hours a year; no AWS instructor requirement found.
Child labor rules for work placements
State law reaches only under 16; no permit, hours or filing at 16-17. Federal student-learner agreement for HO 8 and 14 work; HO 7 lifts barred.
College credit after high school
No statewide agreement; college-specific Programs of Study agreements; A+ Scholarship ($240/credit hour cap 2026-27).
Where to go next
Welding in other states
Other pathways in Missouri
- Nurse Aide / Patient Care
- EMT
- Electrical
- Construction and Carpentry
- HVAC/R
- Cybersecurity / Networking
- Programming / Computer Science
- Automotive
- Medical and Dental Assisting
- Cosmetology
- Agriculture
- Early Childhood Education
- Culinary and Hospitality
- Machining and Mechatronics
- Engineering and Drafting
- Firefighting
- Law, Public Safety and Corrections
- Business Management and Marketing
- Entrepreneurship
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