Moving between states / Louisiana

Flag of MaineMainetoFlag of LouisianaLouisiana, RN or LPN

Moving from Maine to Louisiana as a registered or practical nurse

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

Works on day one. Both Maine and Louisiana are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Maine is valid in Louisiana the day you arrive. Once Louisiana is your primary residence, apply there for a Louisiana multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.

What the move does to your paycheck

On a $60,000 salary Louisiana leaves you roughly $1,203 a year more than Maine does, because Louisiana's rate is lower.

SalaryMaine state taxLouisiana state taxDifference a year
$40,000$2,002$1,200+$802
$60,000$3,003$1,800+$1,203
$90,000$4,505$2,700+$1,805

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: Maine to Louisiana

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Maine certificate stays on the Maine Registry of Certified Nursing Assistants and Direct Care Workers; to work in Louisiana you apply to the Louisiana Department of 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.

Electrician: Maine to Louisiana

Reciprocity likely. Louisiana licenses electricians at state level through the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, and The state licenses electrical contractors; journeyman cards come from parishes and cities. Reciprocity exists at contractor level with a few states. Your Maine licence comes from the Maine Electricians' Examining Board, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.

CDL: Maine to Louisiana

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

No statewide program in Louisiana 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.

Going the other way? Maine has Student Loan Repayment Tax Credit. See moving from Louisiana to Maine.

Openings filed in Louisiana

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

Your own route from Maine to Louisiana

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 Louisiana employers.

Plan my move to Louisiana

Same move, by trade

CNA: Maine to Louisiana · Electrician: Maine to Louisiana · Truck driver: Maine to Louisiana · All licences: Maine to Louisiana

From Maine to the states next to Louisiana

Texas (no state income tax) · Arkansas (progressive, top rate 3.9%) · Mississippi (flat 4.4% state income tax)

To Louisiana from the states next to Maine

New Hampshire

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

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