Moving between states / Wisconsin

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Moving from Washington to Wisconsin for work

What moves with you from Washington to Wisconsin: 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 Wisconsin takes roughly $3,213 a year more than Washington does, because you are leaving a state with no income tax on wages.

SalaryWashington state taxWisconsin state taxDifference a year
$40,000$0$2,142-$2,142
$60,000$0$3,213-$3,213
$90,000$0$4,819-$4,819

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 Wisconsin

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Washington certificate stays on the Washington State Department of Health, Nursing Assistant Certified program; 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: Washington to Wisconsin

Works on day one. Both Washington and Wisconsin are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Washington 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.

Electrician: Washington to Wisconsin

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

CDL: Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington 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: Washington to Wisconsin · RN or LPN: Washington to Wisconsin · Electrician: Washington to Wisconsin · Truck driver: Washington to Wisconsin

From Washington 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 Washington

Oregon · Idaho

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

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