Moving between states / Michigan
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Michigan, Truck driverMoving from Maine to Michigan as a CDL holder
What a CDL holder licensed in Maine 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 at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Michigan resident you surrender the Maine 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.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Michigan leaves you roughly $453 a year more than Maine does, because Michigan's rate is lower.
| Salary | Maine state tax | Michigan state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,002 | $1,700 | +$302 |
| $60,000 | $3,003 | $2,550 | +$453 |
| $90,000 | $4,505 | $3,825 | +$680 |
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.
CNA: Maine to Michigan
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Maine certificate stays on the Maine Registry of Certified Nursing Assistants and Direct Care Workers; 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.
RN and LPN: Maine to Michigan
Endorsement needed. Michigan is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so your Maine 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 Maine licence stays valid for compact states.
Electrician: Maine 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 Maine hours count toward eligibility, so get them certified in writing by the Maine Electricians' Examining Board before you move and book the Michigan exam early.
Does Michigan pay you to come?
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.
Going the other way? Maine has Student Loan Repayment Tax Credit. See moving from Michigan to Maine.
Openings filed in Michigan
58 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Michigan employers who could not fill them locally.
- Animal BreedersRooker Training Stable, Inc. · Fenton · $22.5/hr
- Farmworker/LaborerDiaz Agricultural Services, LLC. · Kent City · $16.37/hr
- Field Service Technician IBAXTER · Warren
- Farmworkers and Laborers, CropLegacy Labor, Inc. · Portage · $13.73/hr
- Farmworkers and Laborers, CropLegacy Labor, Inc. · Portage · $13.73/hr
- Equipment Operator/Farm LaborerNickle Plate Dairy · Portland · $16.28/hr
Your own route from Maine 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 MichiganSame move, by trade
CNA: Maine to Michigan · RN or LPN: Maine to Michigan · Electrician: Maine to Michigan · All licences: Maine to Michigan
From Maine 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 Maine
Everything about working in Michigan · All moves between states · All 50 states