Moving between states / West Virginia

Flag of WashingtonWashingtontoFlag of West VirginiaWest Virginia

Moving from Washington to West Virginia for work

What moves with you from Washington to West Virginia: 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 West Virginia takes roughly $2,024 a year more than Washington does, because you are leaving a state with no income tax on wages.

SalaryWashington state taxWest Virginia state taxDifference a year
$40,000$0$1,350-$1,350
$60,000$0$2,024-$2,024
$90,000$0$3,037-$3,037

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 West Virginia

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Washington certificate stays on the Washington State Department of Health, Nursing Assistant Certified program; to work in West Virginia you apply to the West Virginia Office of Health Facility Licensure and Certification, 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.

RN and LPN: Washington to West Virginia

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

Electrician: Washington to West Virginia

Reciprocity likely. West Virginia licenses electricians at state level through the West Virginia State Fire Marshal, Electrician Licensing, and reciprocity with a few states for licence holders 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.

CDL: Washington to West Virginia

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

  • Ascend West Virginia: $12,000 over two years plus outdoor perks. For remote workers who move to one of the participating communities (Morgantown, Lewisburg, Shepherdstown and others).

Openings filed in West Virginia

14 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by West Virginia employers who could not fill them locally.

Your own route from Washington to West Virginia

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 West Virginia employers.

Plan my move to West Virginia

Same move, by trade

CNA: Washington to West Virginia · RN or LPN: Washington to West Virginia · Electrician: Washington to West Virginia · Truck driver: Washington to West Virginia

From Washington to the states next to West Virginia

Ohio (progressive, top rate 3.5%) · Pennsylvania (flat 3.07% state income tax) · Maryland (progressive, top rate 5.75%) · Virginia (progressive, top rate 5.75%) · Kentucky (flat 4% state income tax)

To West Virginia from the states next to Washington

Oregon · Idaho

Everything about working in West Virginia · All moves between states · All 50 states

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