Moving between states / Iowa

Flag of MarylandMarylandtoFlag of IowaIowa, CNA

Moving from Maryland to Iowa as a certified nursing assistant

What a certified nursing assistant licensed in Maryland has to do to work in Iowa, what the move does to your pay, and who in Iowa is hiring from out of state.

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Maryland certificate stays on the Maryland Board of Nursing, Certified Nursing Assistant program; to work in Iowa you apply to the Iowa Direct Care Worker Registry (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing) 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

Maryland and Iowa take about the same from a $60,000 salary; the difference is under $150 a year either way.

SalaryMaryland state taxIowa state taxDifference a year
$40,000$1,610$1,520+$90
$60,000$2,415$2,280+$135
$90,000$3,622$3,420+$202

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 Maryland: counties add 2.25 to 3.2% on top. Property and sales tax are not in it.

RN and LPN: Maryland to Iowa

Works on day one. Both Maryland and Iowa are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Maryland is valid in Iowa the day you arrive. Once Iowa is your primary residence, apply there for a Iowa multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.

Electrician: Maryland to Iowa

Reciprocity likely. Iowa licenses electricians at state level through the Iowa Electrical Examining Board, and reciprocity with a list of states for journeymen who passed an equivalent exam. Your Maryland licence comes from the Maryland State Board of Master Electricians, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.

CDL: Maryland to Iowa

Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Iowa resident you surrender the Maryland CDL at a Iowa 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 Iowa. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.

  • Newton Housing Initiative: up to $10,000 toward a newly built home. For anyone building or buying a new home in Newton; a construction incentive rather than a hiring one.

Openings filed in Iowa

52 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Iowa employers who could not fill them locally.

Your own route from Maryland to Iowa

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 Iowa employers.

Plan my move to Iowa

Same move, by trade

RN or LPN: Maryland to Iowa · Electrician: Maryland to Iowa · Truck driver: Maryland to Iowa · All licences: Maryland to Iowa

From Maryland to the states next to Iowa

Minnesota (progressive, top rate 9.85%) · Wisconsin (progressive, top rate 7.65%) · Illinois (flat 4.95% state income tax) · Missouri (progressive, top rate 4.7%) · Nebraska (progressive, top rate 5.2%) · South Dakota (no state income tax)

To Iowa from the states next to Maryland

Pennsylvania · Delaware · Virginia · West Virginia

Everything about working in Iowa · All moves between states · All 50 states

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