Moving between states / Kentucky
West Virginiato
Kentucky, RN or LPNMoving from West Virginia to Kentucky as a registered or practical nurse
What a registered or practical nurse licensed in West Virginia has to do to work in Kentucky, what the move does to your pay, and who in Kentucky is hiring from out of state.
Works on day one. Both West Virginia and Kentucky are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from West Virginia is valid in Kentucky the day you arrive. Once Kentucky is your primary residence, apply there for a Kentucky multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Kentucky takes roughly $376 a year more than West Virginia does.
| Salary | West Virginia state tax | Kentucky state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,350 | $1,600 | -$250 |
| $60,000 | $2,024 | $2,400 | -$376 |
| $90,000 | $3,037 | $3,600 | -$563 |
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 Kentucky: many cities and counties add an occupational tax. Property and sales tax are not in it.
CNA: West Virginia to Kentucky
Transfers by reciprocity. Your West Virginia certificate stays on the West Virginia Office of Health Facility Licensure and Certification, Nurse Aide Registry; to work in Kentucky you apply to the Kentucky Board of Nursing, 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.
Electrician: West Virginia to Kentucky
Reciprocity likely. Kentucky licenses electricians at state level through the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Electrical Licensing, and State electrician and master electrician licences; limited reciprocity, most applicants qualify by hours and take the exam. Your West Virginia licence comes from the West Virginia State Fire Marshal, Electrician Licensing, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.
CDL: West Virginia to Kentucky
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Kentucky resident you surrender the West Virginia CDL at a Kentucky 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 Kentucky. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Kentucky pay you to come?
No statewide program in Kentucky 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.
Going the other way? West Virginia has Ascend West Virginia. See moving from Kentucky to West Virginia.
Openings filed in Kentucky
58 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Kentucky employers who could not fill them locally.
- Farm Worker LaborSOUTHWEST FARMS, LLC · Murray · $14.33/hr
- FARM WORKER LABORKANARY KENTUCKY, LLC · SEDALIA · $14.33/hr
- Stable AttendantRobert Gentry · Lexington · $14.33/hr
- Loan Sales SpecialistOneMain Financial · Lexington
- Livestock Worker/Ranch handCarlton Lee Barker · Adairville · $14.33/hr
- FARM LABORBATTS FARMS, LLC · WATER VALLEY · $14.33/hr
Your own route from West Virginia to Kentucky
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 Kentucky employers.
Plan my move to KentuckySame move, by trade
CNA: West Virginia to Kentucky · Electrician: West Virginia to Kentucky · Truck driver: West Virginia to Kentucky · All licences: West Virginia to Kentucky
From West Virginia to the states next to Kentucky
Indiana (flat 3% state income tax) · Ohio (progressive, top rate 3.5%) · Virginia (progressive, top rate 5.75%) · Tennessee (no state income tax) · Missouri (progressive, top rate 4.7%) · Illinois (flat 4.95% state income tax)
To Kentucky from the states next to West Virginia
Ohio · Pennsylvania · Maryland · Virginia
Everything about working in Kentucky · All moves between states · All 50 states