No, mainland banks do not have branches in Hawai'i. And branch banks and bank ATMs are not as common in Hawai'i as they are in many other states, so it's a good idea to do a little research about the area where you will be living and working, to determine which bank has the best coverage FOR YOU.

Other things you may find different about Hawai'i banks... their technology tends to be much older/cruder than mainland banks, such as green screen non-graphic ATMs. I have friends in financial IT who joke that old ATMs are sent to Hawai'i to die. Opening hours are typically shorter, and miscellaneous fees tend to be higher than you may be used to.

I personally recommend opening a Hawai'i checking account online long before you make your move, for several reasons...

1) It can (and usually will) take 10 days to clear a mainland check for the first 30 days the account is open. After that federal rules click in that require faster clearing. You might as well get through that 30 day period before you arrive here.

2) Debit cards typically are not issued immediately, and have limitations on use for the first 30 days. Again, better to have a fully functional local debit card with you when you arrive.

3) Local area debit cards are more widely acceptable, especially to small merchants, than mainland cards. Mainland cards sometimes take longer to authorize, or just fail to authorize.