Moving between states / Massachusetts
Iowato
Massachusetts, Truck driverMoving from Iowa to Massachusetts as a CDL holder
What a CDL holder licensed in Iowa has to do to work in Massachusetts, what the move does to your pay, and who in Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts resident you surrender the Iowa CDL at a Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Massachusetts takes roughly $720 a year more than Iowa does.
| Salary | Iowa state tax | Massachusetts state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,520 | $2,000 | -$480 |
| $60,000 | $2,280 | $3,000 | -$720 |
| $90,000 | $3,420 | $4,500 | -$1,080 |
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 Massachusetts: plus 4% on income above about $1 million. Property and sales tax are not in it.
CNA: Iowa to Massachusetts
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Iowa certificate stays on the Iowa Direct Care Worker Registry (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing); to work in Massachusetts you apply to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Nurse Aide 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: Iowa to Massachusetts
Endorsement needed. Massachusetts is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so your Iowa multistate licence does not work there. Apply to the Massachusetts 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.
Electrician: Iowa to Massachusetts
Exam required. Massachusetts licenses electricians through the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians and does not reciprocate with any state. Your Iowa hours count toward eligibility, so get them certified in writing by the Iowa Electrical Examining Board before you move and book the Massachusetts exam early.
Does Massachusetts pay you to come?
No statewide program in Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts to Iowa.
Openings filed in Massachusetts
67 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Massachusetts employers who could not fill them locally.
- Field Sales ConsultantSunrun · Springfield
- Senior Asset Manager-LIHTCBank of America · Boston
- FarmworkerCupp & Sons, LLC · Littleton · $15.29/hr
- Director, Treasury Sales Officer IIBank of America · Boston
- Financial Solutions Advisor - Boston MarketBank of America · Boston
- VP, Treasury Sales Officer IBank of America · Boston
Your own route from Iowa to Massachusetts
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 Massachusetts employers.
Plan my move to MassachusettsSame move, by trade
CNA: Iowa to Massachusetts · RN or LPN: Iowa to Massachusetts · Electrician: Iowa to Massachusetts · All licences: Iowa to Massachusetts
From Iowa to the states next to Massachusetts
New Hampshire (no state income tax) · Vermont (progressive, top rate 8.75%) · New York (progressive, top rate 10.9%) · Connecticut (progressive, top rate 6.99%) · Rhode Island (progressive, top rate 5.99%)
To Massachusetts from the states next to Iowa
Minnesota · Wisconsin · Illinois · Missouri · Nebraska · South Dakota
Everything about working in Massachusetts · All moves between states · All 50 states