Moving between states / Washington

Flag of TexasTexastoFlag of WashingtonWashington

Moving from Texas to Washington for work

What moves with you from Texas to Washington: your licence, your take-home pay, and the programs that pay people to come. Every line below is computed from the two states' rules.

What the move does to your paycheck

Neither Texas nor Washington taxes wages, so the move changes nothing on the state line of your paycheck.

SalaryTexas state taxWashington state taxDifference a year
$40,000$0$0$0
$60,000$0$0$0
$90,000$0$0$0

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 Washington: no tax on wages; a 7% tax on large capital gains and a payroll premium for long-term care. Property and sales tax are not in it.

CNA: Texas to Washington

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Texas certificate stays on the Texas Health and Human Services, Nurse Aide Registry; to work in Washington you apply to the Washington State Department of Health, Nursing Assistant Certified program for reciprocity. Washington certifies nursing assistants (NA-C) and credentials out-of-state CNAs by endorsement. Most registries list you within two to six weeks.

RN and LPN: Texas to Washington

Works on day one. Both Texas and Washington are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Texas is valid in Washington the day you arrive. Once Washington is your primary residence, apply there for a Washington multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.

Electrician: Texas to Washington

Reciprocity likely. Washington licenses electricians at state level through the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, and reciprocity with a short list of states for general journeymen with recent hours. Your Texas licence comes from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.

CDL: Texas to Washington

Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Washington resident you surrender the Texas CDL at a Washington 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 Washington. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.

No statewide program in Washington 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 Washington

171 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Washington employers who could not fill them locally.

Your own route from Texas to Washington

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 Washington employers.

Plan my move to Washington

Same move, by trade

CNA: Texas to Washington · RN or LPN: Texas to Washington · Electrician: Texas to Washington · Truck driver: Texas to Washington

From Texas to the states next to Washington

Oregon (progressive, top rate 9.9%) · Idaho (flat 5.3% state income tax)

To Washington from the states next to Texas

New Mexico · Oklahoma · Arkansas · Louisiana

Everything about working in Washington · All moves between states · All 50 states

Moving for a job? Start with your state.

Licence transfer, what the state takes from your pay, and who pays you to come. Free, no account.

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