Moving between states / Illinois
Iowato
Illinois, RN or LPNMoving from Iowa to Illinois as a registered or practical nurse
What a registered or practical nurse licensed in Iowa has to do to work in Illinois, what the move does to your pay, and who in Illinois is hiring from out of state.
Endorsement needed. Illinois is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so your Iowa multistate licence does not work there. Apply to the Illinois Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement before you move; it commonly takes six to twelve weeks. Your Iowa licence stays valid for compact states.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Illinois takes roughly $690 a year more than Iowa does.
| Salary | Iowa state tax | Illinois state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,520 | $1,980 | -$460 |
| $60,000 | $2,280 | $2,970 | -$690 |
| $90,000 | $3,420 | $4,455 | -$1,035 |
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: Iowa to Illinois
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Iowa certificate stays on the Iowa Direct Care Worker Registry (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing); to work in Illinois you apply to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Health Care Worker 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.
Electrician: Iowa to Illinois
Licensed by the city. Illinois has no state electrician licence; the City and county building departments decide what card you need, and it can differ between cities. No state electrician licence; Chicago and most suburbs license their own, so the licence you need depends on where the job is. Ask the contractor hiring you which municipality the first job is in and apply to that one. Your Iowa state licence is evidence of hours, not a licence there.
CDL: Iowa to Illinois
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Illinois resident you surrender the Iowa CDL at a Illinois 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 Illinois. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Illinois pay you to come?
No statewide program in Illinois 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? Iowa has Newton Housing Initiative. See moving from Illinois to Iowa.
Openings filed in Illinois
122 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Illinois employers who could not fill them locally.
- Rotational Development ProgramFlexport · Chicago
- Customs SpecialistFlexport · Chicago
- Account Executive, Uber for Business US&CUber · Chicago
- Agricultural Equipment OperatorKendrick Brothers · Melvin · $18.75/hr
- Warehouse Worker - Full Time ShiftMcKesson · Aurora
- Global PV Risk Management PartnerBAXTER · Springfield
Your own route from Iowa to Illinois
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 Illinois employers.
Plan my move to IllinoisSame move, by trade
CNA: Iowa to Illinois · Electrician: Iowa to Illinois · Truck driver: Iowa to Illinois · All licences: Iowa to Illinois
From Iowa to the states next to Illinois
Wisconsin (progressive, top rate 7.65%) · Missouri (progressive, top rate 4.7%) · Kentucky (flat 4% state income tax) · Indiana (flat 3% state income tax)
To Illinois from the states next to Iowa
Minnesota · Wisconsin · Missouri · Nebraska · South Dakota
Everything about working in Illinois · All moves between states · All 50 states