Moving between states / Wisconsin

Flag of Rhode IslandRhode IslandtoFlag of WisconsinWisconsin, Electrician

Moving from Rhode Island to Wisconsin as a journeyman electrician

What a journeyman electrician licensed in Rhode Island has to do to work in Wisconsin, what the move does to your pay, and who in Wisconsin is hiring from out of state.

Exam required. Wisconsin licenses electricians through the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services and does not reciprocate with any state. Your Rhode Island hours count toward eligibility, so get them certified in writing by the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Board of Examiners of Electricians before you move and book the Wisconsin exam early.

What the move does to your paycheck

On a $60,000 salary Wisconsin takes roughly $697 a year more than Rhode Island does.

SalaryRhode Island state taxWisconsin state taxDifference a year
$40,000$1,677$2,142-$465
$60,000$2,516$3,213-$697
$90,000$3,774$4,819-$1,045

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: Rhode Island to Wisconsin

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Rhode Island certificate stays on the Rhode Island Department of Health, Nursing Assistant licensing; 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: Rhode Island to Wisconsin

Works on day one. Both Rhode Island and Wisconsin are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Rhode Island is valid in Wisconsin the day you arrive. Once Wisconsin is your primary residence, apply there for a Wisconsin multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.

CDL: Rhode Island to Wisconsin

Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Wisconsin resident you surrender the Rhode Island 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.

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.

Your own route from Rhode Island 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 Wisconsin

Same move, by trade

CNA: Rhode Island to Wisconsin · RN or LPN: Rhode Island to Wisconsin · Truck driver: Rhode Island to Wisconsin · All licences: Rhode Island to Wisconsin

From Rhode Island to the states next to Wisconsin

Michigan (flat 4.25% state income tax) · 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 Rhode Island

Connecticut · Massachusetts

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

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