Moving from Hawaii to Maine as a registered or practical nurse
What a registered or practical nurse licensed in Hawaii 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. Hawaii is not in the compact, so your Hawaii 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 leaves you roughly $1,617 a year more than Hawaii does, because Maine's rate is lower.
| Salary | Hawaii state tax | Maine state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $3,080 | $2,002 | +$1,078 |
| $60,000 | $4,620 | $3,003 | +$1,617 |
| $90,000 | $6,930 | $4,505 | +$2,425 |
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: Hawaii to Maine
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Hawaii certificate stays on the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Nurse Aide Registry (administered by Prometric); 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: Hawaii 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 Hawaii licence comes from the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.
CDL: Hawaii 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 Hawaii 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.
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 Hawaii to Maine
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CNA: Hawaii to Maine · Electrician: Hawaii to Maine · Truck driver: Hawaii to Maine · All licences: Hawaii to Maine
From Hawaii to the states next to Maine
New Hampshire (no state income tax)
To Maine from the states next to Hawaii
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