Moving from New Jersey to Maine for work
What moves with you from New Jersey to Maine: 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 Maine leaves you roughly $1,512 a year more than New Jersey does, because Maine's rate is lower.
| Salary | New Jersey state tax | Maine state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $3,010 | $2,002 | +$1,008 |
| $60,000 | $4,515 | $3,003 | +$1,512 |
| $90,000 | $6,773 | $4,505 | +$2,268 |
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: New Jersey to Maine
Transfers by reciprocity. Your New Jersey certificate stays on the New Jersey Department of 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.
RN and LPN: New Jersey to Maine
Works on day one. Both New Jersey and Maine are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from New Jersey is valid in Maine the day you arrive. Once Maine is your primary residence, apply there for a Maine multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
Electrician: New Jersey 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 New Jersey licence comes from the New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.
CDL: New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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.
Does Maine pay you to come?
- 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.
- HOUSEKEEPERDRAPERS HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT INC · SOUTH PORTLAND · $19.35/hr
- Maple Tree Tapper, Farm LaborerMaple Ridge Sugarbush, Inc. · Somerset County · $18.83/hr
- Maple tree tapper, farm laborerRPDM Sugar Camp, Inc. · Somerset County · $15.1/hr
- Relationship Banker - Maine MarketBank of America · Portland
- (USA) Pharmacy Tech Certified Sam'sWalmart · Portland
- IDI Billing Experience ConsultantUnum Group · Portland
Your own route from New Jersey 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 MaineSame move, by trade
CNA: New Jersey to Maine · RN or LPN: New Jersey to Maine · Electrician: New Jersey to Maine · Truck driver: New Jersey to Maine
From New Jersey to the states next to Maine
New Hampshire (no state income tax)
To Maine from the states next to New Jersey
New York · Pennsylvania · Delaware
Everything about working in Maine · All moves between states · All 50 states