Moving between states / Alaska

Flag of IllinoisIllinoistoFlag of AlaskaAlaska, RN or LPN

Moving from Illinois to Alaska as a registered or practical nurse

What a registered or practical nurse licensed in Illinois has to do to work in Alaska, what the move does to your pay, and who in Alaska is hiring from out of state.

Endorsement needed. Neither Illinois nor Alaska is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. You apply to the Alaska Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement: verification of your Illinois licence through Nursys, a fingerprint background check and the fee. Start before you give notice; six to twelve weeks is normal.

What the move does to your paycheck

On a $60,000 salary Alaska leaves you roughly $2,970 a year more than Illinois does, because Alaska has no state income tax on wages.

SalaryIllinois state taxAlaska state taxDifference a year
$40,000$1,980$0+$1,980
$60,000$2,970$0+$2,970
$90,000$4,455$0+$4,455

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: Illinois to Alaska

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Illinois certificate stays on the Illinois Department of Public Health, Health Care Worker Registry; to work in Alaska you apply to the Alaska Board of Nursing (Certified Nurse Aide program) 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: Illinois to Alaska

Exam likely. Alaska licenses at state level through the Alaska Department of Labor, Mechanical Inspection and reciprocates with other state boards, but Illinois licenses locally through the City and county building departments, which is not a party to those agreements. Expect to document your hours and sit the Alaska journeyman exam.

CDL: Illinois to Alaska

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

  • Permanent Fund Dividend: roughly $1,000 to $1,700 a year. For every resident after a full calendar year in the state; not a relocation grant, but paid every year.

Openings filed in Alaska

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

Your own route from Illinois to Alaska

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 Alaska employers.

Plan my move to Alaska

Same move, by trade

CNA: Illinois to Alaska · Electrician: Illinois to Alaska · Truck driver: Illinois to Alaska · All licences: Illinois to Alaska

From Illinois to the states next to Alaska

To Alaska from the states next to Illinois

Wisconsin · Iowa · Missouri · Kentucky · Indiana

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

Moving for a job? Start with your state.

Licence transfer, what the state takes from your pay, and who pays you to come. Free, no account.

Pick the state