Moving between states / Maine

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Moving from Wisconsin to Maine as a journeyman electrician

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

Reciprocity likely. Maine licenses electricians at state level through the Maine Electricians' Examining Board, and Maine reciprocates with New Hampshire, Vermont and a few other states for journeymen. Your Wisconsin licence comes from the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.

What the move does to your paycheck

On a $60,000 salary Maine leaves you roughly $210 a year more than Wisconsin does, because Maine's rate is lower.

SalaryWisconsin state taxMaine state taxDifference a year
$40,000$2,142$2,002+$140
$60,000$3,213$3,003+$210
$90,000$4,819$4,505+$314

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 Maine

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Wisconsin certificate stays on the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry (Department of Health Services); to work in Maine you apply to the Maine Registry of Certified Nursing Assistants and Direct Care Workers 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: Wisconsin to Maine

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

CDL: Wisconsin to Maine

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

  • Student Loan Repayment Tax Credit: up to $2,500 a year against Maine income tax. For workers living and paying off student loans in Maine.

Openings filed in Maine

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

Your own route from Wisconsin to Maine

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 Maine employers.

Plan my move to Maine

Same move, by trade

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

From Wisconsin to the states next to Maine

New Hampshire (no state income tax)

To Maine from the states next to Wisconsin

Michigan · Minnesota · Iowa · Illinois

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

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