Moving between states / Wisconsin
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Wisconsin, Truck driverMoving from Maine to Wisconsin as a CDL holder
What a CDL holder licensed in Maine has to do to work in Wisconsin, what the move does to your pay, and who in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin resident you surrender the Maine CDL at a Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Wisconsin takes roughly $210 a year more than Maine does.
| Salary | Maine state tax | Wisconsin state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,002 | $2,142 | -$140 |
| $60,000 | $3,003 | $3,213 | -$210 |
| $90,000 | $4,505 | $4,819 | -$314 |
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 Wisconsin
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Maine certificate stays on the Maine Registry of Certified Nursing Assistants and Direct Care Workers; to work in Wisconsin you apply to the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry (Department of Health Services) 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 Wisconsin
Works on day one. Both Maine and Wisconsin are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Maine is valid in Wisconsin the day you arrive. Once Wisconsin is your primary residence, apply there for a Wisconsin multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
Electrician: Maine to Wisconsin
Exam required. Wisconsin licenses electricians through the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services 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 Wisconsin exam early.
Does Wisconsin pay you to come?
No statewide program in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin to Maine.
Openings filed in Wisconsin
76 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Wisconsin employers who could not fill them locally.
- Senior Commercial Credit Underwriter – Dealer FinanceSantander US · Madison
- Treasury Sales Associate I - Global Payment Solutions - Middle MarketBank of America · Milwaukee
- FarmworkerMcKay Nursery Holding Co., Inc. · Waterloo · $13.57/hr
- Farmworkers and LaborersJackson Citrus, Inc. · Ellison Bay · $13.57/hr
- Treasury Sales Associate I - Global Payment Solutions - Middle MarketBank of America · Milwaukee
- Farmworker, LaborerAppleland LLC · Belgium · $15.5/hr
Your own route from Maine to Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin employers.
Plan my move to WisconsinSame move, by trade
CNA: Maine to Wisconsin · RN or LPN: Maine to Wisconsin · Electrician: Maine to Wisconsin · All licences: Maine to Wisconsin
From Maine to the states next to Wisconsin
Michigan (flat 4.25% state income tax) · Minnesota (progressive, top rate 9.85%) · Iowa (flat 3.8% state income tax) · Illinois (flat 4.95% state income tax)
To Wisconsin from the states next to Maine
Everything about working in Wisconsin · All moves between states · All 50 states