Moving between states / Wisconsin

Flag of MarylandMarylandtoFlag of WisconsinWisconsin, Electrician

Moving from Maryland to Wisconsin as a journeyman electrician

What a journeyman electrician licensed in Maryland has to do to work in Wisconsin, what the move does to your pay, and who in Wisconsin is hiring from out of state.

Exam required. Wisconsin licenses electricians through the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services and does not reciprocate with any state. Your Maryland hours count toward eligibility, so get them certified in writing by the Maryland State Board of Master Electricians before you move and book the Wisconsin exam early.

What the move does to your paycheck

On a $60,000 salary Wisconsin takes roughly $798 a year more than Maryland does.

SalaryMaryland state taxWisconsin state taxDifference a year
$40,000$1,610$2,142-$532
$60,000$2,415$3,213-$798
$90,000$3,622$4,819-$1,197

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 Maryland: counties add 2.25 to 3.2% on top. Property and sales tax are not in it.

CNA: Maryland to Wisconsin

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Maryland certificate stays on the Maryland Board of Nursing, Certified Nursing Assistant program; 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: Maryland to Wisconsin

Works on day one. Both Maryland and Wisconsin are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Maryland 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.

CDL: Maryland to Wisconsin

Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Wisconsin resident you surrender the Maryland 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.

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.

Openings filed in Wisconsin

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

Your own route from Maryland 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 Wisconsin

Same move, by trade

CNA: Maryland to Wisconsin · RN or LPN: Maryland to Wisconsin · Truck driver: Maryland to Wisconsin · All licences: Maryland to Wisconsin

From Maryland 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 Maryland

Pennsylvania · Delaware · Virginia · West Virginia

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

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