Moving between states / California
Alabamato
California, Truck driverMoving from Alabama to California as a CDL holder
What a CDL holder licensed in Alabama has to do to work in California, what the move does to your pay, and who in California is hiring from out of state.
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a California resident you surrender the Alabama CDL at a California driver licence office, pass the vision test, pay the fee, and your endorsements carry over. A hazmat endorsement needs a fresh TSA threat assessment in California. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary California takes roughly $3,486 a year more than Alabama does.
| Salary | Alabama state tax | California state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,400 | $3,724 | -$2,324 |
| $60,000 | $2,100 | $5,586 | -$3,486 |
| $90,000 | $3,150 | $8,379 | -$5,229 |
Rough figures for a single filer: exact in the flat-rate and no-tax states, approximated at 70% of the top bracket in the progressive ones. In California: plus a 1.1% payroll tax for disability insurance. Property and sales tax are not in it.
CNA: Alabama to California
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Alabama certificate stays on the Alabama Nurse Aide Registry (Alabama Department of Public Health); to work in California you apply to the California Department of Public Health, Aide and Technician Certification Section for reciprocity. Reciprocity needs an active certificate in good standing and recent paid nurse aide work; California issues its own certificate rather than endorsing yours. Most registries list you within two to six weeks.
RN and LPN: Alabama to California
Endorsement needed. California is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so your Alabama multistate licence does not work there. Apply to the California Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement before you move; it commonly takes six to twelve weeks. Your Alabama licence stays valid for compact states.
Electrician: Alabama to California
Exam required. California licenses electricians through the Division of Industrial Relations (certification) and Contractors State License Board (C-10) and does not reciprocate with any state. Your Alabama hours count toward eligibility, so get them certified in writing by the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board before you move and book the California exam early.
Does California pay you to come?
No statewide program in California pays people to move in. Towns sometimes list an offer through MakeMyMove, and employers in short-staffed trades pay relocation themselves; ask for it in writing before you accept.
Going the other way? Alabama has Remote Shoals. See moving from California to Alabama.
Openings filed in California
337 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by California employers who could not fill them locally.
- Sr Software Engineer - Backend, Consumer Structural PricingUber · San Francisco
- Senior Banker -Hollywood area - Bilingual Korean requiredBank of America · Los Angeles
- Senior Regional Manager, Air FreightFlexport · Los Angeles
- Customs Specialist - Join Our Talent CommunityFlexport · Los Angeles
- QA Engineer II - VALORANT, Organized PlayRiot Games · Los Angeles
- Senior Security Engineer, Player SecurityRiot Games · Los Angeles
Your own route from Alabama to California
Tell us your trade and your licence. We write the steps for your case, check the job offer for scams, and keep your resume ready for California employers.
Plan my move to CaliforniaSame move, by trade
CNA: Alabama to California · RN or LPN: Alabama to California · Electrician: Alabama to California · All licences: Alabama to California
From Alabama to the states next to California
Oregon (progressive, top rate 9.9%) · Nevada (no state income tax) · Arizona (flat 2.5% state income tax)
To California from the states next to Alabama
Mississippi · Tennessee · Georgia · Florida
Everything about working in California · All moves between states · All 50 states