Moving between states / Iowa

Flag of WashingtonWashingtontoFlag of IowaIowa, Electrician

Moving from Washington to Iowa as a journeyman electrician

What a journeyman electrician licensed in Washington has to do to work in Iowa, what the move does to your pay, and who in Iowa is hiring from out of state.

Reciprocity likely. Iowa licenses electricians at state level through the Iowa Electrical Examining Board, and reciprocity with a list of states for journeymen who passed an equivalent exam. 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.

What the move does to your paycheck

On a $60,000 salary Iowa takes roughly $2,280 a year more than Washington does, because you are leaving a state with no income tax on wages.

SalaryWashington state taxIowa state taxDifference a year
$40,000$0$1,520-$1,520
$60,000$0$2,280-$2,280
$90,000$0$3,420-$3,420

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: Washington to Iowa

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Washington certificate stays on the Washington State Department of Health, Nursing Assistant Certified program; to work in Iowa you apply to the Iowa Direct Care Worker Registry (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing) 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.

RN and LPN: Washington to Iowa

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

CDL: Washington to Iowa

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

  • Newton Housing Initiative: up to $10,000 toward a newly built home. For anyone building or buying a new home in Newton; a construction incentive rather than a hiring one.

Openings filed in Iowa

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

Your own route from Washington to Iowa

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 Iowa employers.

Plan my move to Iowa

Same move, by trade

CNA: Washington to Iowa · RN or LPN: Washington to Iowa · Truck driver: Washington to Iowa · All licences: Washington to Iowa

From Washington to the states next to Iowa

Minnesota (progressive, top rate 9.85%) · Wisconsin (progressive, top rate 7.65%) · Illinois (flat 4.95% state income tax) · Missouri (progressive, top rate 4.7%) · Nebraska (progressive, top rate 5.2%) · South Dakota (no state income tax)

To Iowa from the states next to Washington

Oregon · Idaho

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

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