Moving between states / Oregon

Flag of IllinoisIllinoistoFlag of OregonOregon, Electrician

Moving from Illinois to Oregon as a journeyman electrician

What a journeyman electrician licensed in Illinois has to do to work in Oregon, what the move does to your pay, and who in Oregon is hiring from out of state.

Exam likely. Oregon licenses at state level through the Oregon Building Codes Division, Electrical and Elevator Board and reciprocates with other state boards, but Illinois licenses locally through the City and county building departments, which is not a party to those agreements. Expect to document your hours and sit the Oregon journeyman exam.

What the move does to your paycheck

On a $60,000 salary Oregon takes roughly $1,188 a year more than Illinois does.

SalaryIllinois state taxOregon state taxDifference a year
$40,000$1,980$2,772-$792
$60,000$2,970$4,158-$1,188
$90,000$4,455$6,237-$1,782

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 Oregon: Portland metro adds local taxes on higher incomes. Property and sales tax are not in it.

CNA: Illinois to Oregon

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Illinois certificate stays on the Illinois Department of Public Health, Health Care Worker Registry; to work in Oregon you apply to the Oregon State Board of Nursing, Certified Nursing Assistant registry for reciprocity. It accepts an active certificate in good standing from another state; there is no retest if your record is clean. Most registries list you within two to six weeks.

RN and LPN: Illinois to Oregon

Endorsement needed. Neither Illinois nor Oregon is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. You apply to the Oregon Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement: verification of your Illinois licence through Nursys, a fingerprint background check and the fee. Start before you give notice; six to twelve weeks is normal.

CDL: Illinois to Oregon

Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Oregon resident you surrender the Illinois CDL at a Oregon 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 Oregon. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.

No statewide program in Oregon 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 Oregon

76 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Oregon employers who could not fill them locally.

Your own route from Illinois to Oregon

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 Oregon employers.

Plan my move to Oregon

Same move, by trade

CNA: Illinois to Oregon · RN or LPN: Illinois to Oregon · Truck driver: Illinois to Oregon · All licences: Illinois to Oregon

From Illinois to the states next to Oregon

Washington (no state income tax) · Idaho (flat 5.3% state income tax) · Nevada (no state income tax) · California (progressive, top rate 13.3%)

To Oregon from the states next to Illinois

Wisconsin · Iowa · Missouri · Kentucky · Indiana

Everything about working in Oregon · All moves between states · All 50 states

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