Moving between states / Hawaii

Flag of MontanaMontanatoFlag of HawaiiHawaii

Moving from Montana to Hawaii for work

What moves with you from Montana to Hawaii: your licence, your take-home pay, and the programs that pay people to come. Every line below is computed from the two states' rules.

What the move does to your paycheck

On a $60,000 salary Hawaii takes roughly $2,142 a year more than Montana does.

SalaryMontana state taxHawaii state taxDifference a year
$40,000$1,652$3,080-$1,428
$60,000$2,478$4,620-$2,142
$90,000$3,717$6,930-$3,213

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. Property and sales tax are not in it.

CNA: Montana to Hawaii

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Montana certificate stays on the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Nurse Aide Registry; to work in Hawaii you apply to the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Nurse Aide Registry (administered by Prometric) 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: Montana to Hawaii

Endorsement needed. Hawaii is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so your Montana multistate licence does not work there. Apply to the Hawaii Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement before you move; it commonly takes six to twelve weeks. Your Montana licence stays valid for compact states.

Electrician: Montana to Hawaii

Exam required. Hawaii licenses electricians through the Hawaii Board of Electricians and Plumbers and does not reciprocate with any state. Your Montana hours count toward eligibility, so get them certified in writing by the Montana State Electrical Board before you move and book the Hawaii exam early.

CDL: Montana to Hawaii

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

No statewide program in Hawaii 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 Hawaii

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

Your own route from Montana to Hawaii

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 Hawaii employers.

Plan my move to Hawaii

Same move, by trade

CNA: Montana to Hawaii · RN or LPN: Montana to Hawaii · Electrician: Montana to Hawaii · Truck driver: Montana to Hawaii

From Montana to the states next to Hawaii

To Hawaii from the states next to Montana

North Dakota · South Dakota · Wyoming · Idaho

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

Moving for a job? Start with your state.

Licence transfer, what the state takes from your pay, and who pays you to come. Free, no account.

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