Moving between states / Massachusetts
Californiato
Massachusetts, ElectricianMoving from California to Massachusetts as a journeyman electrician
What a journeyman electrician licensed in California has to do to work in Massachusetts, what the move does to your pay, and who in Massachusetts is hiring from out of state.
Exam required. Massachusetts licenses electricians through the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians and does not reciprocate with any state. Your California hours count toward eligibility, so get them certified in writing by the Division of Industrial Relations (certification) and Contractors State License Board (C-10) before you move and book the Massachusetts exam early.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Massachusetts leaves you roughly $2,586 a year more than California does, because Massachusetts's rate is lower.
| Salary | California state tax | Massachusetts state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $3,724 | $2,000 | +$1,724 |
| $60,000 | $5,586 | $3,000 | +$2,586 |
| $90,000 | $8,379 | $4,500 | +$3,879 |
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 Massachusetts: plus 4% on income above about $1 million. In California: plus a 1.1% payroll tax for disability insurance. Property and sales tax are not in it.
CNA: California to Massachusetts
Transfers by reciprocity. Your California certificate stays on the California Department of Public Health, Aide and Technician Certification Section; to work in Massachusetts you apply to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Nurse Aide Registry 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: California to Massachusetts
Endorsement needed. Neither California nor Massachusetts is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. You apply to the Massachusetts Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement: verification of your California licence through Nursys, a fingerprint background check and the fee. Start before you give notice; six to twelve weeks is normal.
CDL: California to Massachusetts
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Massachusetts resident you surrender the California CDL at a Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Massachusetts pay you to come?
No statewide program in Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts
67 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Massachusetts employers who could not fill them locally.
- Field Sales ConsultantSunrun · Springfield
- Senior Asset Manager-LIHTCBank of America · Boston
- FarmworkerCupp & Sons, LLC · Littleton · $15.29/hr
- Director, Treasury Sales Officer IIBank of America · Boston
- Financial Solutions Advisor - Boston MarketBank of America · Boston
- VP, Treasury Sales Officer IBank of America · Boston
Your own route from California to Massachusetts
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 Massachusetts employers.
Plan my move to MassachusettsSame move, by trade
CNA: California to Massachusetts · RN or LPN: California to Massachusetts · Truck driver: California to Massachusetts · All licences: California to Massachusetts
From California to the states next to Massachusetts
New Hampshire (no state income tax) · Vermont (progressive, top rate 8.75%) · New York (progressive, top rate 10.9%) · Connecticut (progressive, top rate 6.99%) · Rhode Island (progressive, top rate 5.99%)
To Massachusetts from the states next to California
Everything about working in Massachusetts · All moves between states · All 50 states