Moving between states / Oregon
Iowato
Oregon, CNAMoving from Iowa to Oregon as a certified nursing assistant
What a certified nursing assistant licensed in Iowa has to do to work in Oregon, what the move does to your pay, and who in Oregon is hiring from out of state.
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Iowa certificate stays on the Iowa Direct Care Worker Registry (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing); 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.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Oregon takes roughly $1,878 a year more than Iowa does.
| Salary | Iowa state tax | Oregon state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,520 | $2,772 | -$1,252 |
| $60,000 | $2,280 | $4,158 | -$1,878 |
| $90,000 | $3,420 | $6,237 | -$2,817 |
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.
RN and LPN: Iowa to Oregon
Endorsement needed. Oregon is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so your Iowa multistate licence does not work there. Apply to the Oregon 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 Oregon
Reciprocity likely. Oregon licenses electricians at state level through the Oregon Building Codes Division, Electrical and Elevator Board, and reciprocity with a short list of western states for general journeymen. 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 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 Iowa 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.
Does Oregon pay you to come?
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.
Going the other way? Iowa has Newton Housing Initiative. See moving from Oregon to Iowa.
Openings filed in Oregon
76 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Oregon employers who could not fill them locally.
- Relationship Banker- Bilingual Spanish preferredBank of America · Bend
- Relationship Banker, bilingual Spanish preferredBank of America · Eugene
- Beekeeper HelperSweet Bee Honey Company, Inc. · Milton Freewater · $17.65/hr
- Farm WorkerKCK Farms, LLC · Dayton · $17.92/hr
- Farmworker / LaborerWebster Orchards Inc. · The Dalles · $15.55/hr
- Farm LaborerBlooming Nursery, Inc. · Cornelius · $17.65/hr
Your own route from Iowa 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 OregonSame move, by trade
RN or LPN: Iowa to Oregon · Electrician: Iowa to Oregon · Truck driver: Iowa to Oregon · All licences: Iowa to Oregon
From Iowa 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 Iowa
Minnesota · Wisconsin · Illinois · Missouri · Nebraska · South Dakota
Everything about working in Oregon · All moves between states · All 50 states