Moving between states / Rhode Island

Flag of WashingtonWashingtontoFlag of Rhode IslandRhode Island, RN or LPN

Moving from Washington to Rhode Island as a registered or practical nurse

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

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

What the move does to your paycheck

On a $60,000 salary Rhode Island takes roughly $2,516 a year more than Washington does, because you are leaving a state with no income tax on wages.

SalaryWashington state taxRhode Island state taxDifference a year
$40,000$0$1,677-$1,677
$60,000$0$2,516-$2,516
$90,000$0$3,774-$3,774

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 Washington: no tax on wages; a 7% tax on large capital gains and a payroll premium for long-term care. Property and sales tax are not in it.

CNA: Washington to Rhode Island

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Washington certificate stays on the Washington State Department of Health, Nursing Assistant Certified program; to work in Rhode Island you apply to the Rhode Island Department of Health, Nursing Assistant licensing for reciprocity. Rhode Island licenses nursing assistants; an out-of-state CNA applies for a licence by endorsement. Most registries list you within two to six weeks.

Electrician: Washington to Rhode Island

Reciprocity likely. Rhode Island licenses electricians at state level through the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Board of Examiners of Electricians, and no general reciprocity, out-of-state experience counts toward exam eligibility. Your Washington licence comes from the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.

CDL: Washington to Rhode Island

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

No statewide program in Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island

23 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Rhode Island employers who could not fill them locally.

Your own route from Washington to Rhode Island

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 Rhode Island employers.

Plan my move to Rhode Island

Same move, by trade

CNA: Washington to Rhode Island · Electrician: Washington to Rhode Island · Truck driver: Washington to Rhode Island · All licences: Washington to Rhode Island

From Washington to the states next to Rhode Island

Connecticut (progressive, top rate 6.99%) · Massachusetts (flat 5% state income tax)

To Rhode Island from the states next to Washington

Oregon · Idaho

Everything about working in Rhode Island · All moves between states · All 50 states

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