Moving between states / South Dakota
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South Dakota, RN or LPNMoving from Maine to South Dakota as a registered or practical nurse
What a registered or practical nurse licensed in Maine has to do to work in South Dakota, what the move does to your pay, and who in South Dakota is hiring from out of state.
Works on day one. Both Maine and South Dakota are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Maine is valid in South Dakota the day you arrive. Once South Dakota is your primary residence, apply there for a South Dakota multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary South Dakota leaves you roughly $3,003 a year more than Maine does, because South Dakota has no state income tax on wages.
| Salary | Maine state tax | South Dakota state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,002 | $0 | +$2,002 |
| $60,000 | $3,003 | $0 | +$3,003 |
| $90,000 | $4,505 | $0 | +$4,505 |
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 South Dakota
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Maine certificate stays on the Maine Registry of Certified Nursing Assistants and Direct Care Workers; to work in South Dakota you apply to the South Dakota Board of Nursing, 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 South Dakota
Reciprocity likely. South Dakota licenses electricians at state level through the South Dakota Electrical Commission, and reciprocity with a group of states for journeymen licensed by exam. 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 South Dakota
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a South Dakota resident you surrender the Maine CDL at a South Dakota 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 South Dakota. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does South Dakota pay you to come?
No statewide program in South Dakota 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 South Dakota to Maine.
Openings filed in South Dakota
63 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by South Dakota employers who could not fill them locally.
- Cattle Ranch and Farm WorkerGoehring Routier Inc · Buffalo · $17.92/hr
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals - LivestockDaniel Pravecek · Winner · $17.92/hr
- Farm Construction Worker/LaborerSBH Ag Services, Inc. · Highmore · $17.23/hr
- Ranch HandThyen Farms · Watertown · $17.92/hr
- Ag Equipment OperatorMcCloud Ranch · Cresbard · $17.92/hr
- Beekeeper HelperPaul Taylor · Faith · $17.92/hr
Your own route from Maine to South Dakota
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 South Dakota employers.
Plan my move to South DakotaSame move, by trade
CNA: Maine to South Dakota · Electrician: Maine to South Dakota · Truck driver: Maine to South Dakota · All licences: Maine to South Dakota
From Maine to the states next to South Dakota
North Dakota (progressive, top rate 2.5%) · Minnesota (progressive, top rate 9.85%) · Iowa (flat 3.8% state income tax) · Nebraska (progressive, top rate 5.2%) · Wyoming (no state income tax) · Montana (progressive, top rate 5.9%)
To South Dakota from the states next to Maine
Everything about working in South Dakota · All moves between states · All 50 states