Missouri does not issue a statewide journeyman electrician license, so there is no Missouri JW card for a traveler to reciprocate into. The state Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors licenses electrical contractors only, and its own FAQ says the statewide contractor license is optional, not mandatory. Cities license the journeyman. Jefferson City, for example, requires every person working for a contractor inside the city to hold a city license.
As of October 23, 2026, Missouri inside halls show 77 open positions across three locals. Local 124 Kansas City has 37 at $57.01/hr, Local 545 St. Joseph has 30 at $55.00/hr, and Local 1 St. Louis has 10 at $51.79/hr. GoHereBro tracks 300 IBEW locals. The cards below are Kansas City (Local 124), St. Joseph (Local 545), St. Louis (Local 1), and Jefferson City (Local 257).
Check the Local 124 dispatch page, the Missouri IBEW pay scale table, the national pay scale hub, the map, and Hot Spots.
Who licenses electrical work in Missouri
The statewide license belongs to the contractor. Under Section 324.920, RSMo, a Missouri electrical contractor can qualify for the statewide license with 8,000 verifiable practical hours plus a journeyman certificate from a U.S. Department of Labor approved apprenticeship program, or through the other education and experience routes the statute lists. A contractor already licensed by a Missouri city or county can qualify with a passed standardized National Electrical Code exam, 12,000 verifiable hours (or six of the previous eight years holding that local license), and proof of insurance.
The state FAQ for electrical contractors is blunt about the limits. If you only work where you are already locally licensed, or where no license is required, you do not need the statewide license. One person at a supervisory level holds it for the whole company. None of that creates a journeyman card. A traveling JW works as an employee of the licensed contractor, and the city where the job sits decides whether the wireman needs a local license too.
Jefferson City shows how local this gets. All personnel working for a contractor within the city must be licensed with the city. A journeyman or master license costs $117, the city accepts the ICC G17 journeyman exam, and licenses renewed this year are good until June 30, 2027 with a $34 renewal fee. Local 257 sits in Jefferson City and shows 0 open calls today at $42.50/hr, so the quietest board in the state sits next to one of its strictest paper requirements.
What the Missouri halls are calling in October 2026
Local 124 is 37 open across 10 calls at $57.01/hr. Book 1 is 184 and Book 2 is 90. The biggest call is ECA with 10 JW at the Facebook (KCM) data center on 5-12s and 2-10s, reporting to the shop Tuesday, October 27 at 8:00 a.m. Capital wants 6 JW at Google NRD on 5-10s and 1-8. Citadel wants 4 JW at the NNSA East Campus in Belton, with a federal background check and U.S. citizenship required. Shaw and Staco have 5 JW each at various locations.
Local 545 St. Joseph is 30 open across 6 calls at $55.00/hr. RPG wants 20 JW at the Turney Energy Center on 5-10s plus 1-8, at scale plus $120/day per diem, and asks for medium and high voltage termination experience. P1 Construction has three of the remaining calls. Dispatch begins at 8:30 a.m. and original sign-in must be in person between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Local 1 St. Louis is 10 open at $51.79/hr, led by Sachs Electric with 5 JW at Boeing Brownleigh starting October 28. The other four Missouri inside locals, Local 95 Joplin, Local 257 Jefferson City, Local 350 Hannibal, and Local 453 Springfield, show no open calls on the October 23 snapshot.
The contractor list moves. Use the live Local 124 dispatch page for names, report times, and requirements before you drive.
Weekly gross pay math on the two big Missouri calls
Weekday overtime below is estimated at time-and-a-half after 40 hours. Per diem is listed separately because it is not wages.
| Call | Hours | Straight time (40 hrs) | Premium time | Estimated weekly gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local 124 JW at $57.01/hr, 40 hours | 40 | $2,280.40 | $0.00 | $2,280.40 |
| Local 124 Facebook call, 5-12s and 2-10s | 80 | $2,280.40 | $3,420.60 | $5,701.00 |
| Local 545 RPG call, 5-10s plus 1-8 at $55.00/hr | 58 | $2,200.00 | $1,485.00 | $3,685.00 plus $120/day per diem |
These numbers are estimated gross before taxes, dues, and lodging. Employer-paid health and welfare are not included. The 80-hour Facebook week is a real schedule on the board, not a promise that every week runs that long. Check the actual call on Local 124 before you price a trip around it.
Compare packages on the Missouri IBEW pay scale table, the national pay scale hub, and how much union electricians make in 2026.
How dispatch works if you are traveling in
Sign the book the hall tells you to sign, and ask the hall one question before anything else: does this job sit in a city that wants its own journeyman license? In Jefferson City the answer is yes, in writing, for every person on the contractor's crew. In other Missouri cities the answer changes, and the hall dispatcher is the source that counts.
Local 545 requires original sign-in in person, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with dispatch at 8:30 a.m. The RPG call asks for two forms of ID, a voided check, and a drug test. Local 124 calls this week ask for combinations of drug test, background check, OSHA 10, and two forms of ID, and the NNSA call adds federal screening and citizenship. Bring a current dues receipt and your travel letter. If this is a first hitch, read how to travel IBEW Book 2 before you leave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Missouri have a statewide journeyman electrician license?
No. The Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors licenses electrical contractors. There is no Missouri journeyman card issued by the state, so there is nothing at the state level for an out-of-state JW license to transfer into. Cities license journeymen individually.
Is the Missouri statewide electrical contractor license mandatory?
No. The state FAQ says the statewide contractor license is optional. A contractor who only works where a local license is already held, or where no license is required, does not need it. One supervisory person holds the license for the company.
How does a contractor qualify for the statewide license?
Section 324.920, RSMo lists the routes. One is 8,000 verifiable practical hours plus a journeyman certificate from a U.S. Department of Labor approved apprenticeship. A contractor holding a Missouri city or county license can qualify with a passed standardized NEC exam, 12,000 verifiable hours or six of the previous eight years licensed locally, and proof of insurance.
Does my out-of-state journeyman license work in Missouri?
It does not transfer into a state card, because no state card exists. A traveling JW works for the licensed contractor. Whether you also need a city journeyman license depends on where the job sits. Jefferson City licenses every person working for a contractor in the city. Ask the hall before you travel.
What does Jefferson City require and charge?
All personnel working for a contractor in Jefferson City must be licensed with the city. The journeyman or master license fee is $117, the ICC G17 journeyman exam is accepted, and licenses renewed this year run to June 30, 2027 with a $34 renewal fee.
How many IBEW calls are open in Missouri right now?
77 open positions on the October 23, 2026 boards. Local 124 Kansas City has 37 at $57.01/hr, Local 545 St. Joseph has 30 at $55.00/hr, and Local 1 St. Louis has 10 at $51.79/hr. The other four Missouri inside locals show none today.
What is the best paying Missouri call this week?
By estimated weekly gross, the Local 124 Facebook data center call. At $57.01/hr on 5-12s and 2-10s, an 80-hour week estimates $5,701.00 gross before taxes and dues. The Local 545 Turney Energy Center call estimates $3,685.00 for 58 hours plus $120/day per diem.
Which Missouri IBEW local has the most open calls?
Local 124 Kansas City at 37 open and $57.01/hr, with Book 1 at 184 and Book 2 at 90. Then Local 545 St. Joseph at 30 open and $55.00/hr, and Local 1 St. Louis at 10 open and $51.79/hr.
