Moving between states / Hawaii
Moving from Alaska to Hawaii as a journeyman electrician
What a journeyman electrician licensed in Alaska has to do to work in Hawaii, what the move does to your pay, and who in Hawaii is hiring from out of state.
Exam required. Hawaii licenses electricians through the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers and does not reciprocate with any state. Your Alaska hours count toward eligibility, so get them certified in writing by the Alaska Department of Labor, Mechanical Inspection before you move and book the Hawaii exam early.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Hawaii takes roughly $4,620 a year more than Alaska does, because you are leaving a state with no income tax on wages.
| Salary | Alaska state tax | Hawaii state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $0 | $3,080 | -$3,080 |
| $60,000 | $0 | $4,620 | -$4,620 |
| $90,000 | $0 | $6,930 | -$6,930 |
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: Alaska to Hawaii
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Alaska certificate stays on the Alaska Board of Nursing (Certified Nurse Aide program); to work in Hawaii you apply to the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Nurse Aide Registry (administered by Prometric) 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: Alaska to Hawaii
Endorsement needed. Neither Alaska nor Hawaii is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. You apply to the Hawaii Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement: verification of your Alaska licence through Nursys, a fingerprint background check and the fee. Start before you give notice; six to twelve weeks is normal.
CDL: Alaska to Hawaii
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Hawaii resident you surrender the Alaska CDL at a Hawaii 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 Hawaii. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Hawaii pay you to come?
No statewide program in Hawaii 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? Alaska has Permanent Fund Dividend. See moving from Hawaii to Alaska.
Openings filed in Hawaii
25 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Hawaii employers who could not fill them locally.
- Sr. Field Performance Technician (Talent Pool, Future)Sunrun · Honolulu
- Certified Journeyman Electrician (Talent Pool, Future)Sunrun · Honolulu
- Field Sales ConsultantSunrun · Honolulu
- Shop HelperA Team Pacific Roofing, Inc. · Kapolei · $23.18 to 25/hr
- Aquaculture WorkerAloun Farm, Inc. · Kekaha · $16/hr
- Sr. Solar Service TechnicianSunrun · Honolulu
Your own route from Alaska to Hawaii
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CNA: Alaska to Hawaii · RN or LPN: Alaska to Hawaii · Truck driver: Alaska to Hawaii · All licences: Alaska to Hawaii
From Alaska to the states next to Hawaii
To Hawaii from the states next to Alaska
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