Moving between states / Oklahoma
Iowato
Oklahoma, RN or LPNMoving from Iowa to Oklahoma as a registered or practical nurse
What a registered or practical nurse licensed in Iowa has to do to work in Oklahoma, what the move does to your pay, and who in Oklahoma is hiring from out of state.
Works on day one. Both Iowa and Oklahoma are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Iowa is valid in Oklahoma the day you arrive. Once Oklahoma is your primary residence, apply there for a Oklahoma multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Oklahoma leaves you roughly $285 a year more than Iowa does, because Oklahoma's rate is lower.
| Salary | Iowa state tax | Oklahoma state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,520 | $1,330 | +$190 |
| $60,000 | $2,280 | $1,995 | +$285 |
| $90,000 | $3,420 | $2,993 | +$427 |
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 Oklahoma
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Iowa certificate stays on the Iowa Direct Care Worker Registry (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing); to work in Oklahoma you apply to the Oklahoma State 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 Oklahoma
Reciprocity likely. Oklahoma licenses electricians at state level through the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board, and reciprocity for journeymen with a licence from a state Oklahoma has an agreement with. Your Iowa licence comes from the Iowa Electrical Examining Board, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.
CDL: Iowa to Oklahoma
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Oklahoma resident you surrender the Iowa CDL at a Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Oklahoma pay you to come?
- Tulsa Remote: $10,000. For full-time remote workers who move to Tulsa for at least a year; the longest-running program of its kind.
Going the other way? Iowa has Newton Housing Initiative. See moving from Oklahoma to Iowa.
Openings filed in Oklahoma
85 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Oklahoma employers who could not fill them locally.
- Night Shift Operations Supervisor (Sunday- Thursday)McKesson · Oklahoma City
- Farm and Ranch HandCharlie's Hill Top · Rattan · $16.66/hr
- Farm LaborerFlag Ranch, LLC · Purcell · $11.88/hr
- Planting Crew MemberSouthwood Landscape & Nursery Co., Inc. · Tulsa · $16.66/hr
- Farm WorkerNewkirk Farmers-Ranchers Livestock Auction LLC · Newkirk · $11.88/hr
- Ag Equipment OperatorSchrock Well Service LLC · Thomas · $11.88/hr
Your own route from Iowa to Oklahoma
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 Oklahoma employers.
Plan my move to OklahomaSame move, by trade
CNA: Iowa to Oklahoma · Electrician: Iowa to Oklahoma · Truck driver: Iowa to Oklahoma · All licences: Iowa to Oklahoma
From Iowa to the states next to Oklahoma
Kansas (progressive, top rate 5.58%) · Missouri (progressive, top rate 4.7%) · Arkansas (progressive, top rate 3.9%) · Texas (no state income tax) · New Mexico (progressive, top rate 5.9%) · Colorado (flat 4.4% state income tax)
To Oklahoma from the states next to Iowa
Minnesota · Wisconsin · Illinois · Missouri · Nebraska · South Dakota
Everything about working in Oklahoma · All moves between states · All 50 states