Moving between states / Maine

Flag of MassachusettsMassachusettstoFlag of MaineMaine, RN or LPN

Moving from Massachusetts to Maine as a registered or practical nurse

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

Endorsement, six to twelve weeks. Massachusetts is not in the compact, so your Massachusetts licence is single-state. Apply to the Maine board for licensure by endorsement (Nursys verification, fingerprints, the board's fee); six to twelve weeks is normal, so start before you give notice. Because Maine is a compact state, ask for the new licence to be issued as a multistate licence: from then on it works in every compact state.

What the move does to your paycheck

Massachusetts and Maine take about the same from a $60,000 salary; the difference is under $150 a year either way.

SalaryMassachusetts state taxMaine state taxDifference a year
$40,000$2,000$2,002-$2
$60,000$3,000$3,003-$3
$90,000$4,500$4,505-$5

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 Massachusetts: plus 4% on income above about $1 million. Property and sales tax are not in it.

CNA: Massachusetts to Maine

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Massachusetts certificate stays on the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Nurse Aide Registry; to work in Maine you apply to the Maine Registry of Certified Nursing Assistants and Direct Care Workers 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: Massachusetts to Maine

Reciprocity likely. Maine licenses electricians at state level through the Maine Electricians' Examining Board, and Maine reciprocates with New Hampshire, Vermont and a few other states for journeymen. Your Massachusetts licence comes from the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.

CDL: Massachusetts to Maine

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

  • Student Loan Repayment Tax Credit: up to $2,500 a year against Maine income tax. For workers living and paying off student loans in Maine.

Openings filed in Maine

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

Your own route from Massachusetts to Maine

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 Maine employers.

Plan my move to Maine

Same move, by trade

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

From Massachusetts to the states next to Maine

New Hampshire (no state income tax)

To Maine from the states next to Massachusetts

New Hampshire · Vermont · New York · Connecticut · Rhode Island

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

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