Moving between states / Alaska
Michiganto
Alaska, RN or LPNMoving from Michigan to Alaska as a registered or practical nurse
What a registered or practical nurse licensed in Michigan has to do to work in Alaska, what the move does to your pay, and who in Alaska is hiring from out of state.
Endorsement needed. Neither Michigan nor Alaska is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. You apply to the Alaska Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement: verification of your Michigan licence through Nursys, a fingerprint background check and the fee. Start before you give notice; six to twelve weeks is normal.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Alaska leaves you roughly $2,550 a year more than Michigan does, because Alaska has no state income tax on wages.
| Salary | Michigan state tax | Alaska state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,700 | $0 | +$1,700 |
| $60,000 | $2,550 | $0 | +$2,550 |
| $90,000 | $3,825 | $0 | +$3,825 |
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 Michigan: Detroit and some cities add a local income tax. Property and sales tax are not in it.
CNA: Michigan to Alaska
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Michigan certificate stays on the Michigan Nurse Aide Registry (administered by Prometric for the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs); to work in Alaska you apply to the Alaska Board of Nursing (Certified Nurse Aide program) 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: Michigan to Alaska
Reciprocity likely. Alaska licenses electricians at state level through the Alaska Department of Labor, Mechanical Inspection, and State certificate of fitness for journeymen; Alaska takes part in the western reciprocity group, so a journeyman card from a partner state can be endorsed. Your Michigan licence comes from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Electrical Administrative Board, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.
CDL: Michigan to Alaska
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Alaska resident you surrender the Michigan CDL at a Alaska 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 Alaska. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
Does Alaska pay you to come?
- Permanent Fund Dividend: roughly $1,000 to $1,700 a year. For every resident after a full calendar year in the state; not a relocation grant, but paid every year.
Openings filed in Alaska
11 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Alaska employers who could not fill them locally.
- Fish Roe TechnicianNorth Pacific Seafoods, Inc. · Kodiak · $20.62 to 37/hr
- Shop HelperInterior Alaska Roofing, Inc. · Fairbanks · $21.43 to 30/hr
- Surimi and Roe TechnicianPremier Pacific Seafoods, Inc. · Bering Sea and North Pacific · $21.31/hr
- Surimi and Roe TechnicianWestward Seafoods, Inc. · Unalaska · $24.65 to 40/hr
- Pollock Roe TechnicianWestward Seafoods, Inc. · Unalaska · $18.23/hr
- Assistant Store Manager Aurora CenterAT&T · Fairbanks
Your own route from Michigan to Alaska
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 Alaska employers.
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