Moving between states / Tennessee
Missourito
Tennessee, RN or LPNMoving from Missouri to Tennessee as a registered or practical nurse
What a registered or practical nurse licensed in Missouri has to do to work in Tennessee, what the move does to your pay, and who in Tennessee is hiring from out of state.
Works on day one. Both Missouri and Tennessee are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Missouri is valid in Tennessee the day you arrive. Once Tennessee is your primary residence, apply there for a Tennessee multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Tennessee leaves you roughly $1,974 a year more than Missouri does, because Tennessee has no state income tax on wages.
| Salary | Missouri state tax | Tennessee state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,316 | $0 | +$1,316 |
| $60,000 | $1,974 | $0 | +$1,974 |
| $90,000 | $2,961 | $0 | +$2,961 |
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 Missouri: Kansas City and St. Louis add a 1% earnings tax. Property and sales tax are not in it.
CNA: Missouri to Tennessee
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Missouri certificate stays on the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Certified Nurse Assistant Registry; to work in Tennessee you apply to the Tennessee 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: Missouri to Tennessee
Exam likely. Tennessee licenses at state level through the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors and reciprocates with other state boards, but Missouri licenses locally through the Missouri Division of Professional Registration (optional statewide licence) and city building departments, which is not a party to those agreements. Expect to document your hours and sit the Tennessee journeyman exam.
CDL: Missouri to Tennessee
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Tennessee resident you surrender the Missouri CDL at a Tennessee 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 Tennessee. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Tennessee pay you to come?
No statewide program in Tennessee 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.
Openings filed in Tennessee
153 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Tennessee employers who could not fill them locally.
- Sr. Sourcing Specialist (Gas Turbine Power Sourcing)SpaceX · Memphis
- IT Storage EngineerSpaceX · Memphis
- Supply Chain Planning Manager, xAI (Starlink)SpaceX · Memphis
- Supply Chain Planning Manager, xAI (Starlink)SpaceX · Memphis
- Sr. Supply Chain Planner, xAI (Starlink)SpaceX · Memphis
- Sr. Supply Chain Planner, xAI (Starlink)SpaceX · Memphis
Your own route from Missouri to Tennessee
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 Tennessee employers.
Plan my move to TennesseeSame move, by trade
CNA: Missouri to Tennessee · Electrician: Missouri to Tennessee · Truck driver: Missouri to Tennessee · All licences: Missouri to Tennessee
From Missouri to the states next to Tennessee
Kentucky (flat 4% state income tax) · Virginia (progressive, top rate 5.75%) · North Carolina (flat 4.25% state income tax) · Georgia (flat 5.19% state income tax) · Alabama (progressive, top rate 5%) · Mississippi (flat 4.4% state income tax) · Arkansas (progressive, top rate 3.9%)
To Tennessee from the states next to Missouri
Iowa · Illinois · Kentucky · Arkansas · Oklahoma · Kansas · Nebraska
Everything about working in Tennessee · All moves between states · All 50 states