Moving between states / Missouri
Washingtonto
MissouriMoving from Washington to Missouri for work
What moves with you from Washington to Missouri: 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
On a $60,000 salary Missouri takes roughly $1,974 a year more than Washington does, because you are leaving a state with no income tax on wages.
| Salary | Washington state tax | Missouri state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $0 | $1,316 | -$1,316 |
| $60,000 | $0 | $1,974 | -$1,974 |
| $90,000 | $0 | $2,961 | -$2,961 |
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 Missouri: Kansas City and St. Louis add a 1% earnings tax. 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 Missouri
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Washington certificate stays on the Washington State Department of Health, Nursing Assistant Certified program; to work in Missouri you apply to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Certified Nurse Assistant 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.
RN and LPN: Washington to Missouri
Works on day one. Both Washington and Missouri are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Washington is valid in Missouri the day you arrive. Once Missouri is your primary residence, apply there for a Missouri multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
Electrician: Washington to Missouri
Licensed by the city. Missouri has no state electrician licence; the Missouri Division of Professional Registration (optional statewide licence) and city building departments decide what card you need, and it can differ between cities. A voluntary statewide electrical contractor licence exists since 2021; day-to-day licensing is still by city and county, many of which reciprocate with each other. Ask the contractor hiring you which municipality the first job is in and apply to that one. Your Washington state licence is evidence of hours, not a licence there.
CDL: Washington to Missouri
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Missouri resident you surrender the Washington CDL at a Missouri 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 Missouri. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Missouri pay you to come?
No statewide program in Missouri 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 Missouri
93 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Missouri employers who could not fill them locally.
- Senior Banker II - Watkins Crossing Financial CenterBank of America · Kansas City
- Landscape LaborerKC Sprinkler Pros · Kansas City · $20.65 to 24/hr
- 35-3023.00 Fast Food & Counter Workers – Mobile Food ConcessDizon's Food, LLC · St. Louis · $17.77 to 21.57/hr
- Agricultural Equipment OperatorsFarmRight Solutions, LLC · New Cambria · $18.71/hr
- Graders and Sorters, Agricultural ProductsT&H Feedlot · Sedgewickville · $15/hr
- Farmworkers, Farm & Ranch AnimalsShow-Me Farms · Polo · $15/hr
Your own route from Washington to Missouri
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 Missouri employers.
Plan my move to MissouriSame move, by trade
CNA: Washington to Missouri · RN or LPN: Washington to Missouri · Electrician: Washington to Missouri · Truck driver: Washington to Missouri
From Washington to the states next to Missouri
Iowa (flat 3.8% state income tax) · Illinois (flat 4.95% state income tax) · Kentucky (flat 4% state income tax) · Tennessee (no state income tax) · Arkansas (progressive, top rate 3.9%) · Oklahoma (progressive, top rate 4.75%) · Kansas (progressive, top rate 5.58%) · Nebraska (progressive, top rate 5.2%)
To Missouri from the states next to Washington
Everything about working in Missouri · All moves between states · All 50 states