Moving between states / Wisconsin
Californiato
Wisconsin, RN or LPNMoving from California to Wisconsin as a registered or practical nurse
What a registered or practical nurse licensed in California has to do to work in Wisconsin, what the move does to your pay, and who in Wisconsin is hiring from out of state.
Endorsement, six to twelve weeks. California is not in the compact, so your California licence is single-state. Apply to the Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin leaves you roughly $2,373 a year more than California does, because Wisconsin's rate is lower.
| Salary | California state tax | Wisconsin state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $3,724 | $2,142 | +$1,582 |
| $60,000 | $5,586 | $3,213 | +$2,373 |
| $90,000 | $8,379 | $4,819 | +$3,560 |
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 California: plus a 1.1% payroll tax for disability insurance. Property and sales tax are not in it.
CNA: California to Wisconsin
Transfers by reciprocity. Your California certificate stays on the California Department of Public Health, Aide and Technician Certification Section; to work in Wisconsin you apply to the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry (Department of Health Services) 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: California to Wisconsin
Exam required. Wisconsin licenses electricians through the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services 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 Wisconsin exam early.
CDL: California to Wisconsin
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Wisconsin resident you surrender the California CDL at a Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Wisconsin pay you to come?
No statewide program in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin
76 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Wisconsin employers who could not fill them locally.
- Senior Commercial Credit Underwriter – Dealer FinanceSantander US · Madison
- Treasury Sales Associate I - Global Payment Solutions - Middle MarketBank of America · Milwaukee
- FarmworkerMcKay Nursery Holding Co., Inc. · Waterloo · $13.57/hr
- Farmworkers and LaborersJackson Citrus, Inc. · Ellison Bay · $13.57/hr
- Treasury Sales Associate I - Global Payment Solutions - Middle MarketBank of America · Milwaukee
- Farmworker, LaborerAppleland LLC · Belgium · $15.5/hr
Your own route from California to Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin employers.
Plan my move to WisconsinSame move, by trade
CNA: California to Wisconsin · Electrician: California to Wisconsin · Truck driver: California to Wisconsin · All licences: California to Wisconsin
From California to the states next to Wisconsin
Michigan (flat 4.25% state income tax) · Minnesota (progressive, top rate 9.85%) · Iowa (flat 3.8% state income tax) · Illinois (flat 4.95% state income tax)
To Wisconsin from the states next to California
Everything about working in Wisconsin · All moves between states · All 50 states