Moving from Ohio to Texas as a CDL holder
What a CDL holder licensed in Ohio has to do to work in Texas, what the move does to your pay, and who in Texas is hiring from out of state.
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Texas resident you surrender the Ohio CDL at a Texas 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 Texas. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Texas leaves you roughly $1,470 a year more than Ohio does, because Texas has no state income tax on wages.
| Salary | Ohio state tax | Texas state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $980 | $0 | +$980 |
| $60,000 | $1,470 | $0 | +$1,470 |
| $90,000 | $2,205 | $0 | +$2,205 |
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 Ohio: most cities add a 1 to 2.5% municipal income tax. Property and sales tax are not in it.
CNA: Ohio to Texas
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Ohio certificate stays on the Ohio Department of Health, Nurse Aide Registry; to work in Texas you apply to the Texas Health and Human Services, Nurse Aide Registry for reciprocity. Reciprocity for an active, unencumbered CNA from another state registry; Texas adds you to its registry rather than issuing a certificate. Most registries list you within two to six weeks.
RN and LPN: Ohio to Texas
Works on day one. Both Ohio and Texas are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Ohio is valid in Texas the day you arrive. Once Texas is your primary residence, apply there for a Texas multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
Electrician: Ohio to Texas
Exam likely. Texas licenses at state level through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and reciprocates with other state boards, but Ohio licenses locally through the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (contractors) and city building departments, which is not a party to those agreements. Expect to document your hours and sit the Texas journeyman exam.
Does Texas pay you to come?
No statewide program in Texas 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? Ohio has Hamilton Talent Attraction Program. See moving from Texas to Ohio.
Openings filed in Texas
609 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Texas employers who could not fill them locally.
- Application Support Engineer - Mid LevelUSAA · San Antonio
- Materials PlannerBechtel · Houston
- Lead Process EngineerBechtel · Houston
- Lead Process EngineerBechtel · Houston
- Expediting SpecialistBechtel · Houston
- Labor Relations SpecialistBechtel · Houston
Your own route from Ohio to Texas
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 Texas employers.
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CNA: Ohio to Texas · RN or LPN: Ohio to Texas · Electrician: Ohio to Texas · All licences: Ohio to Texas
From Ohio to the states next to Texas
New Mexico (progressive, top rate 5.9%) · Oklahoma (progressive, top rate 4.75%) · Arkansas (progressive, top rate 3.9%) · Louisiana (flat 3% state income tax)
To Texas from the states next to Ohio
Michigan · Indiana · Kentucky · West Virginia · Pennsylvania
Everything about working in Texas · All moves between states · All 50 states