Moving between states / Michigan
Alabamato
MichiganMoving from Alabama to Michigan for work
What moves with you from Alabama to Michigan: 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 Michigan takes roughly $450 a year more than Alabama does.
| Salary | Alabama state tax | Michigan state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,400 | $1,700 | -$300 |
| $60,000 | $2,100 | $2,550 | -$450 |
| $90,000 | $3,150 | $3,825 | -$675 |
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 Michigan: Detroit and some cities add a local income tax. Property and sales tax are not in it.
CNA: Alabama to Michigan
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Alabama certificate stays on the Alabama Nurse Aide Registry (Alabama Department of Public Health); to work in Michigan you apply to the Michigan Nurse Aide Registry (administered by Prometric for the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs) 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: Alabama to Michigan
Endorsement needed. Michigan is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so your Alabama multistate licence does not work there. Apply to the Michigan Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement before you move; it commonly takes six to twelve weeks. Your Alabama licence stays valid for compact states.
Electrician: Alabama to Michigan
Exam required. Michigan licenses electricians through the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Electrical Administrative Board and does not reciprocate with any state. Your Alabama hours count toward eligibility, so get them certified in writing by the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board before you move and book the Michigan exam early.
CDL: Alabama to Michigan
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Michigan resident you surrender the Alabama CDL at a Michigan 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 Michigan. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Michigan pay you to come?
No statewide program in Michigan 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? Alabama has Remote Shoals. See moving from Michigan to Alabama.
Openings filed in Michigan
58 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Michigan employers who could not fill them locally.
- Animal BreedersRooker Training Stable, Inc. · Fenton · $22.5/hr
- Farmworker/LaborerDiaz Agricultural Services, LLC. · Kent City · $16.37/hr
- Field Service Technician IBAXTER · Warren
- Farmworkers and Laborers, CropLegacy Labor, Inc. · Portage · $13.73/hr
- Farmworkers and Laborers, CropLegacy Labor, Inc. · Portage · $13.73/hr
- Equipment Operator/Farm LaborerNickle Plate Dairy · Portland · $16.28/hr
Your own route from Alabama to Michigan
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 Michigan employers.
Plan my move to MichiganSame move, by trade
CNA: Alabama to Michigan · RN or LPN: Alabama to Michigan · Electrician: Alabama to Michigan · Truck driver: Alabama to Michigan
From Alabama to the states next to Michigan
Ohio (progressive, top rate 3.5%) · Indiana (flat 3% state income tax) · Wisconsin (progressive, top rate 7.65%)
To Michigan from the states next to Alabama
Mississippi · Tennessee · Georgia · Florida
Everything about working in Michigan · All moves between states · All 50 states