Moving between states / Montana
Pennsylvaniato
Montana, CNAMoving from Pennsylvania to Montana as a certified nursing assistant
What a certified nursing assistant licensed in Pennsylvania has to do to work in Montana, what the move does to your pay, and who in Montana is hiring from out of state.
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Pennsylvania certificate stays on the Pennsylvania Nurse Aide Registry (Pennsylvania Department of Education, administered by Credentia); to work in Montana you apply to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, 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.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Montana takes roughly $636 a year more than Pennsylvania does.
| Salary | Pennsylvania state tax | Montana state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,228 | $1,652 | -$424 |
| $60,000 | $1,842 | $2,478 | -$636 |
| $90,000 | $2,763 | $3,717 | -$954 |
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 Pennsylvania: municipalities add an earned income tax, 1% in most places and 3.75% in Philadelphia. Property and sales tax are not in it.
RN and LPN: Pennsylvania to Montana
Works on day one. Both Pennsylvania and Montana are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Pennsylvania is valid in Montana the day you arrive. Once Montana is your primary residence, apply there for a Montana multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
Electrician: Pennsylvania to Montana
Exam likely. Montana licenses at state level through the Montana State Electrical Board and reciprocates with other state boards, but Pennsylvania 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 Montana journeyman exam.
CDL: Pennsylvania to Montana
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Montana resident you surrender the Pennsylvania CDL at a Montana 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 Montana. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Montana pay you to come?
No statewide program in Montana 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 Montana
72 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Montana employers who could not fill them locally.
- Farm WorkerSilverado Farms II · Geraldine · $18.62/hr
- Ag Equipment OperatorIronhorse Ag & Excavation, Inc · Shelby · $13.46/hr
- General Farm RanchAmos Enterprises · Havre · $13.46/hr
- Livestock WorkerHuntsman Ranch Company · Dell · $13.46/hr
- General Farm/RanchValley View Charolais Ranch, Inc · Polson · $13.46/hr
- Farm/Irrigation/Livestock WorkerPancost Cattle Co. · Twin Bridges · $13.46/hr
Your own route from Pennsylvania to Montana
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 Montana employers.
Plan my move to MontanaSame move, by trade
RN or LPN: Pennsylvania to Montana · Electrician: Pennsylvania to Montana · Truck driver: Pennsylvania to Montana · All licences: Pennsylvania to Montana
From Pennsylvania to the states next to Montana
North Dakota (progressive, top rate 2.5%) · South Dakota (no state income tax) · Wyoming (no state income tax) · Idaho (flat 5.3% state income tax)
To Montana from the states next to Pennsylvania
New York · New Jersey · Delaware · Maryland · West Virginia · Ohio
Everything about working in Montana · All moves between states · All 50 states