Moving between states / Tennessee
West Virginiato
Tennessee, ElectricianMoving from West Virginia to Tennessee as a journeyman electrician
What a journeyman electrician licensed in West Virginia has to do to work in Tennessee, what the move does to your pay, and who in Tennessee is hiring from out of state.
Reciprocity likely. Tennessee licenses electricians at state level through the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, and Electrical contractors are state-licensed; journeyman cards are local where required. Contractor reciprocity with a few neighbouring states. 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.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Tennessee leaves you roughly $2,024 a year more than West Virginia does, because Tennessee has no state income tax on wages.
| Salary | West Virginia state tax | Tennessee state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,350 | $0 | +$1,350 |
| $60,000 | $2,024 | $0 | +$2,024 |
| $90,000 | $3,037 | $0 | +$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. Property and sales tax are not in it.
CNA: West Virginia to Tennessee
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 Tennessee you apply to the Tennessee Department of Health, 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: West Virginia to Tennessee
Works on day one. Both West Virginia and Tennessee are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from West Virginia is valid in Tennessee the day you arrive. Once Tennessee is your primary residence, apply there for a Tennessee multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
CDL: West Virginia to Tennessee
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Tennessee resident you surrender the West Virginia CDL at a Tennessee 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 Tennessee. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Tennessee pay you to come?
No statewide program in Tennessee 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 Tennessee to West Virginia.
Openings filed in Tennessee
153 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Tennessee employers who could not fill them locally.
- Sr. Sourcing Specialist (Gas Turbine Power Sourcing)SpaceX · Memphis
- IT Storage EngineerSpaceX · Memphis
- Supply Chain Planning Manager, xAI (Starlink)SpaceX · Memphis
- Supply Chain Planning Manager, xAI (Starlink)SpaceX · Memphis
- Sr. Supply Chain Planner, xAI (Starlink)SpaceX · Memphis
- Sr. Supply Chain Planner, xAI (Starlink)SpaceX · Memphis
Your own route from West Virginia to Tennessee
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 Tennessee employers.
Plan my move to TennesseeSame move, by trade
CNA: West Virginia to Tennessee · RN or LPN: West Virginia to Tennessee · Truck driver: West Virginia to Tennessee · All licences: West Virginia to Tennessee
From West Virginia to the states next to Tennessee
Kentucky (flat 4% state income tax) · Virginia (progressive, top rate 5.75%) · North Carolina (flat 4.25% state income tax) · Georgia (flat 5.19% state income tax) · Alabama (progressive, top rate 5%) · Mississippi (flat 4.4% state income tax) · Arkansas (progressive, top rate 3.9%) · Missouri (progressive, top rate 4.7%)
To Tennessee from the states next to West Virginia
Ohio · Pennsylvania · Maryland · Virginia · Kentucky
Everything about working in Tennessee · All moves between states · All 50 states