Moving between states / Washington
Massachusettsto
Washington, ElectricianMoving from Massachusetts to Washington as a journeyman electrician
What a journeyman electrician licensed in Massachusetts has to do to work in Washington, what the move does to your pay, and who in Washington is hiring from out of state.
Reciprocity likely. Washington licenses electricians at state level through the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, and reciprocity with a short list of states for general journeymen with recent hours. 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.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Washington leaves you roughly $3,000 a year more than Massachusetts does, because Washington has no state income tax on wages.
| Salary | Massachusetts state tax | Washington state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,000 | $0 | +$2,000 |
| $60,000 | $3,000 | $0 | +$3,000 |
| $90,000 | $4,500 | $0 | +$4,500 |
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 Washington: no tax on wages; a 7% tax on large capital gains and a payroll premium for long-term care. In Massachusetts: plus 4% on income above about $1 million. Property and sales tax are not in it.
CNA: Massachusetts to Washington
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Massachusetts certificate stays on the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Nurse Aide Registry; to work in Washington you apply to the Washington State Department of Health, Nursing Assistant Certified program for reciprocity. Washington certifies nursing assistants (NA-C) and credentials out-of-state CNAs by endorsement. Most registries list you within two to six weeks.
RN and LPN: Massachusetts to Washington
Endorsement, six to twelve weeks. Massachusetts is not in the compact, so your Massachusetts licence is single-state. Apply to the Washington 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 Washington 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.
CDL: Massachusetts to Washington
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Washington resident you surrender the Massachusetts CDL at a Washington 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 Washington. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Washington pay you to come?
No statewide program in Washington 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 Washington
171 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Washington employers who could not fill them locally.
- Director, Engineering - ObservabilityUber · Seattle
- Credit Analyst II/Credit Underwriter I-Commercial Real Estate CreditBank of America · Seattle
- Senior Account Manager, FulfillmentFlexport · Bellevue
- Manager, Ocean FreightFlexport · Bellevue
- Customs SpecialistFlexport · Bellevue
- Sr. Sales Manager (Global Starlink Enterprise Sales)SpaceX · Redmond
Your own route from Massachusetts to Washington
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CNA: Massachusetts to Washington · RN or LPN: Massachusetts to Washington · Truck driver: Massachusetts to Washington · All licences: Massachusetts to Washington
From Massachusetts to the states next to Washington
Oregon (progressive, top rate 9.9%) · Idaho (flat 5.3% state income tax)
To Washington from the states next to Massachusetts
New Hampshire · Vermont · New York · Connecticut · Rhode Island
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