Moving between states / Michigan

Flag of North CarolinaNorth CarolinatoFlag of MichiganMichigan, RN or LPN

Moving from North Carolina to Michigan as a registered or practical nurse

What a registered or practical nurse licensed in North Carolina has to do to work in Michigan, what the move does to your pay, and who in Michigan is hiring from out of state.

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

What the move does to your paycheck

North Carolina and Michigan take about the same from a $60,000 salary; the difference is under $150 a year either way.

SalaryNorth Carolina state taxMichigan state taxDifference a year
$40,000$1,700$1,700$0
$60,000$2,550$2,550$0
$90,000$3,825$3,825$0

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: North Carolina to Michigan

Transfers by reciprocity. Your North Carolina certificate stays on the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Nurse Aide I Registry; to work in Michigan you apply to the Michigan Nurse Aide Registry (administered by Prometric for the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs) 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: North Carolina to Michigan

Exam required. Michigan licenses electricians through the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Electrical Administrative Board and does not reciprocate with any state. Your North Carolina hours count toward eligibility, so get them certified in writing by the North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors before you move and book the Michigan exam early.

CDL: North Carolina to Michigan

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

No statewide program in Michigan 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 Michigan

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

Your own route from North Carolina to Michigan

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 Michigan employers.

Plan my move to Michigan

Same move, by trade

CNA: North Carolina to Michigan · Electrician: North Carolina to Michigan · Truck driver: North Carolina to Michigan · All licences: North Carolina to Michigan

From North Carolina to the states next to Michigan

Ohio (progressive, top rate 3.5%) · Indiana (flat 3% state income tax) · Wisconsin (progressive, top rate 7.65%)

To Michigan from the states next to North Carolina

Virginia · Tennessee · Georgia · South Carolina

Everything about working in Michigan · 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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