Moving between states / Florida
Washingtonto
Florida, CNAMoving from Washington to Florida as a certified nursing assistant
What a certified nursing assistant licensed in Washington has to do to work in Florida, what the move does to your pay, and who in Florida is hiring from out of state.
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Washington certificate stays on the Washington State Department of Health, Nursing Assistant Certified program; to work in Florida you apply to the Florida Board of Nursing (CNA certification by endorsement) for reciprocity. Endorsement for an active CNA from another state registry; Florida runs its own background screening before it certifies you. Most registries list you within two to six weeks.
What the move does to your paycheck
Neither Washington nor Florida taxes wages, so the move changes nothing on the state line of your paycheck.
| Salary | Washington state tax | Florida state tax | Difference 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.
RN and LPN: Washington to Florida
Works on day one. Both Washington and Florida are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Washington is valid in Florida the day you arrive. Once Florida is your primary residence, apply there for a Florida multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
Electrician: Washington to Florida
Reciprocity likely. Florida licenses electricians at state level through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board, and Contractor licences are state-certified or county-registered; journeyman cards are county-issued, and several counties reciprocate with each other. Your Washington licence comes from the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.
CDL: Washington to Florida
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Florida resident you surrender the Washington CDL at a Florida 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 Florida. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Florida pay you to come?
No statewide program in Florida 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 Florida
297 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Florida employers who could not fill them locally.
- Regulatory Reporting Operations ProfessionalBank of America · Jacksonville
- Markets Support AnalystBank of America · Jacksonville
- Senior Manager, Supply Chain Protection & Loss IntelligenceFlexport · Miami
- Manager, Claims Operations - ATFUSAA · Tampa
- Account Manager II, Eats EnterpriseUber · Miami
- Transaction Management Ops Analyst - BPRO Financial Transaction ReviewBank of America · Jacksonville
Your own route from Washington to Florida
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 Florida employers.
Plan my move to FloridaSame move, by trade
RN or LPN: Washington to Florida · Electrician: Washington to Florida · Truck driver: Washington to Florida · All licences: Washington to Florida
From Washington to the states next to Florida
Georgia (flat 5.19% state income tax) · Alabama (progressive, top rate 5%)
To Florida from the states next to Washington
Everything about working in Florida · All moves between states · All 50 states