Alaskato
Maine, RN or LPNMoving from Alaska to Maine as a registered or practical nurse
What a registered or practical nurse licensed in Alaska has to do to work in Maine, what the move does to your pay, and who in Maine is hiring from out of state.
Endorsement, six to twelve weeks. Alaska is not in the compact, so your Alaska licence is single-state. Apply to the Maine board for licensure by endorsement (Nursys verification, fingerprints, the board's fee); six to twelve weeks is normal, so start before you give notice. Because Maine is a compact state, ask for the new licence to be issued as a multistate licence: from then on it works in every compact state.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Maine takes roughly $3,003 a year more than Alaska does, because you are leaving a state with no income tax on wages.
| Salary | Alaska state tax | Maine state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $0 | $2,002 | -$2,002 |
| $60,000 | $0 | $3,003 | -$3,003 |
| $90,000 | $0 | $4,505 | -$4,505 |
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 Maine
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Alaska certificate stays on the Alaska Board of Nursing (Certified Nurse Aide program); to work in Maine you apply to the Maine Registry of Certified Nursing Assistants and Direct Care Workers 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: Alaska to Maine
Reciprocity likely. Maine licenses electricians at state level through the Maine Electricians' Examining Board, and Maine reciprocates with New Hampshire, Vermont and a few other states for journeymen. Your Alaska licence comes from the Alaska Department of Labor, Mechanical Inspection, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.
CDL: Alaska to Maine
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Maine resident you surrender the Alaska CDL at a Maine 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 Maine. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Maine pay you to come?
- Student Loan Repayment Tax Credit: up to $2,500 a year against Maine income tax. For workers living and paying off student loans in Maine.
Going the other way? Alaska has Permanent Fund Dividend. See moving from Maine to Alaska.
Openings filed in Maine
10 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Maine employers who could not fill them locally.
- HOUSEKEEPERDRAPERS HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT INC · SOUTH PORTLAND · $19.35/hr
- Maple Tree Tapper, Farm LaborerMaple Ridge Sugarbush, Inc. · Somerset County · $18.83/hr
- Maple tree tapper, farm laborerRPDM Sugar Camp, Inc. · Somerset County · $15.1/hr
- Relationship Banker - Maine MarketBank of America · Portland
- (USA) Pharmacy Tech Certified Sam'sWalmart · Portland
- IDI Billing Experience ConsultantUnum Group · Portland
Your own route from Alaska to Maine
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 Maine employers.
Plan my move to MaineSame move, by trade
CNA: Alaska to Maine · Electrician: Alaska to Maine · Truck driver: Alaska to Maine · All licences: Alaska to Maine
From Alaska to the states next to Maine
New Hampshire (no state income tax)
To Maine from the states next to Alaska
Everything about working in Maine · All moves between states · All 50 states