Oklahomato
Texas, CNAMoving from Oklahoma to Texas as a certified nursing assistant
What a certified nursing assistant licensed in Oklahoma 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 by reciprocity. Your Oklahoma certificate stays on the Oklahoma State 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.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Texas leaves you roughly $1,995 a year more than Oklahoma does, because Texas has no state income tax on wages.
| Salary | Oklahoma state tax | Texas state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,330 | $0 | +$1,330 |
| $60,000 | $1,995 | $0 | +$1,995 |
| $90,000 | $2,993 | $0 | +$2,993 |
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.
RN and LPN: Oklahoma to Texas
Works on day one. Both Oklahoma and Texas are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Oklahoma 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: Oklahoma to Texas
Reciprocity likely. Texas licenses electricians at state level through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and TDLR reciprocates journeyman and master licences with a handful of states and otherwise waives the exam for nobody. Your Oklahoma licence comes from the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.
CDL: Oklahoma to Texas
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Texas resident you surrender the Oklahoma 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.
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? Oklahoma has Tulsa Remote. See moving from Texas to Oklahoma.
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 Oklahoma 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.
Plan my move to TexasSame move, by trade
RN or LPN: Oklahoma to Texas · Electrician: Oklahoma to Texas · Truck driver: Oklahoma to Texas · All licences: Oklahoma to Texas
From Oklahoma to the states next to Texas
New Mexico (progressive, top rate 5.9%) · Arkansas (progressive, top rate 3.9%) · Louisiana (flat 3% state income tax)
To Texas from the states next to Oklahoma
Kansas · Missouri · Arkansas · New Mexico · Colorado
Everything about working in Texas · All moves between states · All 50 states