Moving between states / Wisconsin
Michiganto
Wisconsin, Truck driverMoving from Michigan to Wisconsin as a CDL holder
What a CDL holder licensed in Michigan 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 Michigan 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 $663 a year more than Michigan does.
| Salary | Michigan state tax | Wisconsin state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,700 | $2,142 | -$442 |
| $60,000 | $2,550 | $3,213 | -$663 |
| $90,000 | $3,825 | $4,819 | -$994 |
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 Wisconsin
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 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: Michigan to Wisconsin
Endorsement, six to twelve weeks. Michigan is not in the compact, so your Michigan licence is single-state. Apply to the Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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.
Electrician: Michigan to Wisconsin
Exam required. Wisconsin licenses electricians through the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services and does not reciprocate with any state. Your Michigan hours count toward eligibility, so get them certified in writing by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Electrical Administrative 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.
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 Michigan 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: Michigan to Wisconsin · RN or LPN: Michigan to Wisconsin · Electrician: Michigan to Wisconsin · All licences: Michigan to Wisconsin
From Michigan to the states next to Wisconsin
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 Michigan
Everything about working in Wisconsin · All moves between states · All 50 states