Moving between states / Georgia

Flag of WisconsinWisconsintoFlag of GeorgiaGeorgia, RN or LPN

Moving from Wisconsin to Georgia as a registered or practical nurse

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

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

What the move does to your paycheck

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

SalaryWisconsin state taxGeorgia state taxDifference a year
$40,000$2,142$2,076+$66
$60,000$3,213$3,114+$99
$90,000$4,819$4,671+$148

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: Wisconsin to Georgia

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Wisconsin certificate stays on the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry (Department of Health Services); to work in Georgia you apply to the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry (Georgia Department of Community Health, administered by Credentia) 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: Wisconsin to Georgia

Exam required. Georgia licenses electricians through the Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Electrical Contractors and does not reciprocate with any state. Your Wisconsin hours count toward eligibility, so get them certified in writing by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services before you move and book the Georgia exam early.

CDL: Wisconsin to Georgia

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

No statewide program in Georgia 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 Georgia

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

Your own route from Wisconsin to Georgia

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 Georgia employers.

Plan my move to Georgia

Same move, by trade

CNA: Wisconsin to Georgia · Electrician: Wisconsin to Georgia · Truck driver: Wisconsin to Georgia · All licences: Wisconsin to Georgia

From Wisconsin to the states next to Georgia

Florida (no state income tax) · Alabama (progressive, top rate 5%) · Tennessee (no state income tax) · North Carolina (flat 4.25% state income tax) · South Carolina (progressive, top rate 6.2%)

To Georgia from the states next to Wisconsin

Michigan · Minnesota · Iowa · Illinois

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

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Licence transfer, what the state takes from your pay, and who pays you to come. Free, no account.

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