Moving between states / Michigan

Flag of DelawareDelawaretoFlag of MichiganMichigan, CNA

Moving from Delaware to Michigan as a certified nursing assistant

What a certified nursing assistant licensed in Delaware has to do to work in Michigan, what the move does to your pay, and who in Michigan is hiring from out of state.

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Delaware certificate stays on the Delaware Division of Health Care Quality, Nurse Aide Registry; to work in Michigan you apply to the Michigan Nurse Aide Registry (administered by Prometric for the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs) 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.

What the move does to your paycheck

On a $60,000 salary Michigan leaves you roughly $222 a year more than Delaware does, because Michigan's rate is lower.

SalaryDelaware state taxMichigan state taxDifference a year
$40,000$1,848$1,700+$148
$60,000$2,772$2,550+$222
$90,000$4,158$3,825+$333

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 Michigan: Detroit and some cities add a local income tax. Property and sales tax are not in it.

RN and LPN: Delaware to Michigan

Endorsement needed. Michigan is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so your Delaware multistate licence does not work there. Apply to the Michigan Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement before you move; it commonly takes six to twelve weeks. Your Delaware licence stays valid for compact states.

Electrician: Delaware to Michigan

Exam required. Michigan licenses electricians through the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Electrical Administrative Board and does not reciprocate with any state. Your Delaware hours count toward eligibility, so get them certified in writing by the Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners before you move and book the Michigan exam early.

CDL: Delaware to Michigan

Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Michigan resident you surrender the Delaware CDL at a Michigan 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 Michigan. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.

No statewide program in Michigan 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 Michigan

58 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Michigan employers who could not fill them locally.

Your own route from Delaware to Michigan

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 Michigan employers.

Plan my move to Michigan

Same move, by trade

RN or LPN: Delaware to Michigan · Electrician: Delaware to Michigan · Truck driver: Delaware to Michigan · All licences: Delaware to Michigan

From Delaware to the states next to Michigan

Ohio (progressive, top rate 3.5%) · Indiana (flat 3% state income tax) · Wisconsin (progressive, top rate 7.65%)

To Michigan from the states next to Delaware

Maryland · Pennsylvania · New Jersey

Everything about working in Michigan · All moves between states · All 50 states

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