Wisconsinto
TexasMoving from Wisconsin to Texas for work
What moves with you from Wisconsin to Texas: 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 Texas leaves you roughly $3,213 a year more than Wisconsin does, because Texas has no state income tax on wages.
| Salary | Wisconsin state tax | Texas state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,142 | $0 | +$2,142 |
| $60,000 | $3,213 | $0 | +$3,213 |
| $90,000 | $4,819 | $0 | +$4,819 |
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: Wisconsin to Texas
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Wisconsin certificate stays on the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry (Department of Health Services); to work in Texas you apply to the Texas Health and Human Services, Nurse Aide Registry for reciprocity. Reciprocity for an active, unencumbered CNA from another state registry; Texas adds you to its registry rather than issuing a certificate. Most registries list you within two to six weeks.
RN and LPN: Wisconsin to Texas
Works on day one. Both Wisconsin and Texas are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Wisconsin is valid in Texas the day you arrive. Once Texas is your primary residence, apply there for a Texas multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
Electrician: Wisconsin to Texas
Reciprocity likely. Texas licenses electricians at state level through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and TDLR reciprocates journeyman and master licences with a handful of states and otherwise waives the exam for nobody. Your Wisconsin licence comes from the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.
CDL: Wisconsin to Texas
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Texas resident you surrender the Wisconsin CDL at a Texas 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 Texas. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Texas pay you to come?
No statewide program in Texas 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 Texas
609 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Texas employers who could not fill them locally.
- Application Support Engineer - Mid LevelUSAA · San Antonio
- Materials PlannerBechtel · Houston
- Lead Process EngineerBechtel · Houston
- Lead Process EngineerBechtel · Houston
- Expediting SpecialistBechtel · Houston
- Labor Relations SpecialistBechtel · Houston
Your own route from Wisconsin to Texas
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 Texas employers.
Plan my move to TexasSame move, by trade
CNA: Wisconsin to Texas · RN or LPN: Wisconsin to Texas · Electrician: Wisconsin to Texas · Truck driver: Wisconsin to Texas
From Wisconsin to the states next to Texas
New Mexico (progressive, top rate 5.9%) · Oklahoma (progressive, top rate 4.75%) · Arkansas (progressive, top rate 3.9%) · Louisiana (flat 3% state income tax)
To Texas from the states next to Wisconsin
Michigan · Minnesota · Iowa · Illinois
Everything about working in Texas · All moves between states · All 50 states