Moving from Arizona to Texas as a registered or practical nurse
What a registered or practical nurse licensed in Arizona has to do to work in Texas, what the move does to your pay, and who in Texas is hiring from out of state.
Works on day one. Both Arizona and Texas are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Arizona is valid in Texas the day you arrive. Once Texas is your primary residence, apply there for a Texas multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Texas leaves you roughly $1,500 a year more than Arizona does, because Texas has no state income tax on wages.
| Salary | Arizona state tax | Texas state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,000 | $0 | +$1,000 |
| $60,000 | $1,500 | $0 | +$1,500 |
| $90,000 | $2,250 | $0 | +$2,250 |
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. Property and sales tax are not in it.
CNA: Arizona to Texas
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Arizona certificate stays on the Arizona State Board of Nursing (CNA and LNA certification); to work in Texas you apply to the Texas Health and Human Services, Nurse Aide Registry for reciprocity. Reciprocity for an active, unencumbered CNA from another state registry; Texas adds you to its registry rather than issuing a certificate. Most registries list you within two to six weeks.
Electrician: Arizona to Texas
Exam likely. Texas licenses at state level through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and reciprocates with other state boards, but Arizona licenses locally through the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, which is not a party to those agreements. Expect to document your hours and sit the Texas journeyman exam.
CDL: Arizona to Texas
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Texas resident you surrender the Arizona CDL at a Texas 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 Texas. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Texas pay you to come?
No statewide program in Texas 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.
Openings filed in Texas
609 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Texas employers who could not fill them locally.
- Application Support Engineer - Mid LevelUSAA · San Antonio
- Materials PlannerBechtel · Houston
- Lead Process EngineerBechtel · Houston
- Lead Process EngineerBechtel · Houston
- Expediting SpecialistBechtel · Houston
- Labor Relations SpecialistBechtel · Houston
Your own route from Arizona to Texas
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 Texas employers.
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CNA: Arizona to Texas · Electrician: Arizona to Texas · Truck driver: Arizona to Texas · All licences: Arizona to Texas
From Arizona to the states next to Texas
New Mexico (progressive, top rate 5.9%) · Oklahoma (progressive, top rate 4.75%) · Arkansas (progressive, top rate 3.9%) · Louisiana (flat 3% state income tax)
To Texas from the states next to Arizona
California · Nevada · Utah · Colorado · New Mexico
Everything about working in Texas · All moves between states · All 50 states