Moving between states / Colorado
Moving from Kansas to Colorado as a journeyman electrician
What a journeyman electrician licensed in Kansas has to do to work in Colorado, what the move does to your pay, and who in Colorado is hiring from out of state.
Exam likely. Colorado licenses at state level through the Colorado State Electrical Board (DORA) and reciprocates with other state boards, but Kansas licenses locally through the City and county building departments, which is not a party to those agreements. Expect to document your hours and sit the Colorado journeyman exam.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Colorado takes roughly $296 a year more than Kansas does.
| Salary | Kansas state tax | Colorado state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,562 | $1,760 | -$198 |
| $60,000 | $2,344 | $2,640 | -$296 |
| $90,000 | $3,515 | $3,960 | -$445 |
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: Kansas to Colorado
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Kansas certificate stays on the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, Nurse Aide Registry; to work in Colorado you apply to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, 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: Kansas to Colorado
Works on day one. Both Kansas and Colorado are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Kansas is valid in Colorado the day you arrive. Once Colorado is your primary residence, apply there for a Colorado multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
CDL: Kansas to Colorado
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Colorado resident you surrender the Kansas CDL at a Colorado 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 Colorado. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Colorado pay you to come?
No statewide program in Colorado 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? Kansas has Choose Topeka and Rural Opportunity Zones. See moving from Colorado to Kansas.
Openings filed in Colorado
125 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Colorado employers who could not fill them locally.
- Malware Defense Senior Manager (MRA)Bank of America · Denver
- Veterinary Assistant (VA) - DenverModern Animal, Inc. · Denver
- Senior Systems Engineer (Identity and Access)Flexport · Gunnison
- Injury Claims Examiner (Central to West region)USAA · Colorado Springs
- Business Banking Relationship Manager - Denver MarketBank of America · Denver
- Financial Solutions Advisor Registration Candidate - Citadel Financial Center - Spanish PreferredBank of America · Colorado Springs
Your own route from Kansas to Colorado
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 Colorado employers.
Plan my move to ColoradoSame move, by trade
CNA: Kansas to Colorado · RN or LPN: Kansas to Colorado · Truck driver: Kansas to Colorado · All licences: Kansas to Colorado
From Kansas to the states next to Colorado
Wyoming (no state income tax) · Nebraska (progressive, top rate 5.2%) · Oklahoma (progressive, top rate 4.75%) · New Mexico (progressive, top rate 5.9%) · Arizona (flat 2.5% state income tax) · Utah (flat 4.5% state income tax)
To Colorado from the states next to Kansas
Nebraska · Missouri · Oklahoma
Everything about working in Colorado · All moves between states · All 50 states