Moving between states / New Jersey
Iowato
New Jersey, RN or LPNMoving from Iowa to New Jersey as a registered or practical nurse
What a registered or practical nurse licensed in Iowa has to do to work in New Jersey, what the move does to your pay, and who in New Jersey is hiring from out of state.
Works on day one. Both Iowa and New Jersey are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Iowa is valid in New Jersey the day you arrive. Once New Jersey is your primary residence, apply there for a New Jersey multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary New Jersey takes roughly $2,235 a year more than Iowa does.
| Salary | Iowa state tax | New Jersey state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,520 | $3,010 | -$1,490 |
| $60,000 | $2,280 | $4,515 | -$2,235 |
| $90,000 | $3,420 | $6,773 | -$3,353 |
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 New Jersey
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Iowa certificate stays on the Iowa Direct Care Worker Registry (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing); to work in New Jersey you apply to the New Jersey Department of 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.
Electrician: Iowa to New Jersey
Exam required. New Jersey licenses electricians through the New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors 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 New Jersey exam early.
CDL: Iowa to New Jersey
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a New Jersey resident you surrender the Iowa CDL at a New Jersey 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 New Jersey. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does New Jersey pay you to come?
No statewide program in New Jersey 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 New Jersey to Iowa.
Openings filed in New Jersey
45 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by New Jersey employers who could not fill them locally.
- Senior Engineer - Global Rates eTrading TechBank of America · Jersey City
- Horticultural Worker (45-2092.00)Selle Farm LLC · Wrightstown · $16.57/hr
- Landscape LaborerMariani Enterprises LLC · Red Bank · $22.02/hr
- FarmworkerRMV10, LLC · Sewell · $16.57/hr
- Nursery Worker - DockAltman Specialty Plants, LLC - NJ · Allentown · $16.57/hr
- Data Scientist IBank of America · Jersey City
Your own route from Iowa to New Jersey
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 New Jersey employers.
Plan my move to New JerseySame move, by trade
CNA: Iowa to New Jersey · Electrician: Iowa to New Jersey · Truck driver: Iowa to New Jersey · All licences: Iowa to New Jersey
From Iowa to the states next to New Jersey
New York (progressive, top rate 10.9%) · Pennsylvania (flat 3.07% state income tax) · Delaware (progressive, top rate 6.6%)
To New Jersey from the states next to Iowa
Minnesota · Wisconsin · Illinois · Missouri · Nebraska · South Dakota
Everything about working in New Jersey · All moves between states · All 50 states