Moving between states / Washington
Alaskato
Washington, Truck driverMoving from Alaska to Washington as a CDL holder
What a CDL holder licensed in Alaska has to do to work in Washington, what the move does to your pay, and who in Washington is hiring from out of state.
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Washington resident you surrender the Alaska CDL at a Washington 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 Washington. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
What the move does to your paycheck
Neither Alaska nor Washington taxes wages, so the move changes nothing on the state line of your paycheck.
| Salary | Alaska state tax | Washington state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| $60,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| $90,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
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 Washington: no tax on wages; a 7% tax on large capital gains and a payroll premium for long-term care. Property and sales tax are not in it.
CNA: Alaska to Washington
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Alaska certificate stays on the Alaska Board of Nursing (Certified Nurse Aide program); to work in Washington you apply to the Washington State Department of Health, Nursing Assistant Certified program for reciprocity. Washington certifies nursing assistants (NA-C) and credentials out-of-state CNAs by endorsement. Most registries list you within two to six weeks.
RN and LPN: Alaska to Washington
Endorsement, six to twelve weeks. Alaska is not in the compact, so your Alaska licence is single-state. Apply to the Washington 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 Washington 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.
Electrician: Alaska to Washington
Reciprocity likely. Washington licenses electricians at state level through the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, and reciprocity with a short list of states for general journeymen with recent hours. 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.
Does Washington pay you to come?
No statewide program in Washington 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 Washington to Alaska.
Openings filed in Washington
171 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Washington employers who could not fill them locally.
- Director, Engineering - ObservabilityUber · Seattle
- Credit Analyst II/Credit Underwriter I-Commercial Real Estate CreditBank of America · Seattle
- Senior Account Manager, FulfillmentFlexport · Bellevue
- Manager, Ocean FreightFlexport · Bellevue
- Customs SpecialistFlexport · Bellevue
- Sr. Sales Manager (Global Starlink Enterprise Sales)SpaceX · Redmond
Your own route from Alaska to Washington
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 Washington employers.
Plan my move to WashingtonSame move, by trade
CNA: Alaska to Washington · RN or LPN: Alaska to Washington · Electrician: Alaska to Washington · All licences: Alaska to Washington
From Alaska to the states next to Washington
Oregon (progressive, top rate 9.9%) · Idaho (flat 5.3% state income tax)
To Washington from the states next to Alaska
Everything about working in Washington · All moves between states · All 50 states