Moving between states / North Dakota
South Dakotato
North Dakota, CNAMoving from South Dakota to North Dakota as a certified nursing assistant
What a certified nursing assistant licensed in South Dakota has to do to work in North Dakota, what the move does to your pay, and who in North Dakota is hiring from out of state.
Transfers by reciprocity. Your South Dakota certificate stays on the South Dakota Board of Nursing, Nurse Aide Registry; to work in North Dakota you apply to the North Dakota Board of Nursing, 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 North Dakota takes roughly $1,050 a year more than South Dakota does, because you are leaving a state with no income tax on wages.
| Salary | South Dakota state tax | North Dakota state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $0 | $700 | -$700 |
| $60,000 | $0 | $1,050 | -$1,050 |
| $90,000 | $0 | $1,575 | -$1,575 |
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: South Dakota to North Dakota
Works on day one. Both South Dakota and North Dakota are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from South Dakota is valid in North Dakota the day you arrive. Once North Dakota is your primary residence, apply there for a North Dakota multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
Electrician: South Dakota to North Dakota
Reciprocity likely. North Dakota licenses electricians at state level through the North Dakota State Electrical Board, and reciprocity with a group of upper-midwest and western states for journeymen. Your South Dakota licence comes from the South Dakota Electrical Commission, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.
CDL: South Dakota to North Dakota
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a North Dakota resident you surrender the South Dakota CDL at a North Dakota 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 North Dakota. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does North Dakota pay you to come?
No statewide program in North Dakota 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 North Dakota
67 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by North Dakota employers who could not fill them locally.
- Packers and Packagers, HandBrad Lundstrom Farms · Finley · $14.29/hr
- Ag Equipment OperatorDaniel Lagein · Rock Lake · $14.29/hr
- General Farm WorkerJorde Certified Seed LLC · Cando · $14.29/hr
- Packers and Packagers, HandLoren Bock · Belfield · $19.99/hr
- Farm Equipment Mechanic and OperatorJames Fritel · Dunn Center · $24.09/hr
- Beekeeper HelperJesse Gifford/Who's Your Honey · Mandan · $19.99/hr
Your own route from South Dakota to North Dakota
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 North Dakota employers.
Plan my move to North DakotaSame move, by trade
RN or LPN: South Dakota to North Dakota · Electrician: South Dakota to North Dakota · Truck driver: South Dakota to North Dakota · All licences: South Dakota to North Dakota
From South Dakota to the states next to North Dakota
Minnesota (progressive, top rate 9.85%) · Montana (progressive, top rate 5.9%)
To North Dakota from the states next to South Dakota
Minnesota · Iowa · Nebraska · Wyoming · Montana
Everything about working in North Dakota · All moves between states · All 50 states