Where is it easiest to open: Support Activities for Forestry
35 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 45-2041” (soc) for Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products. A blank gate means NO RECORD MATCHED, which is not the same as no licence.
| State | Operators | Avg staff | Pay / employee | Gate | Licence titles matched |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR | 267 | 11.3 | $79,267 | licence | Dairy Operator, HTST Pasteurizer; Dairy Operator, Milk Sampler/Grader |
| WA | 120 | 16.9 | $53,689 | not matched | — |
| CA | 96 | 7.2 | $92,723 | licence | Butter Grader's License; General Sampler's and Weigher's Licens |
| AL | 67 | 5.4 | $70,499 | not matched | — |
| SC | 67 | 6.4 | $63,953 | not matched | — |
| GA | 61 | 8.1 | $60,492 | not matched | — |
| ID | 48 | 7.4 | $49,689 | exam | Bulk Milk Hauler; Weighmaster |
| NC | 46 | 5.4 | $71,680 | exam | Grade "A" Milk; Livestock Market |
| MT | 41 | 7.5 | $113,282 | not matched | — |
| PA | 39 | 3.0 | $46,128 | not matched | — |
| LA | 35 | 4.1 | $57,826 | exam | Measurer- Sampler, Dairy Products |
| FL | 35 | 5.2 | $60,164 | not matched | — |
| MS | 33 | 9.5 | $45,891 | not matched | — |
| AR | 31 | 27.5 | $39,635 | licence | Packing and Grading Permit |
| TX | 24 | 4.2 | $57,510 | not matched | — |
| ME | 23 | 5.4 | $73,536 | exam | Dairy License; Weighmaster, Public |
| VA | 18 | 4.1 | $48,838 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 13 | 17.1 | $46,955 | not matched | — |
| MN | 12 | 1.8 | $41,286 | licence | Bulk Milk Hauler & Sampler License; Livestock Meat Packing Company / Meat |
| NH | 12 | 6.8 | $113,610 | exam | Weighmaster |
| WI | 11 | 1.3 | $42,286 | exam | BUTTER GRADER; BUTTER MAKER |
| NM | 10 | 4.7 | $77,000 | not matched | — |
| NV | 7 | 1.4 | $60,900 | not matched | — |
| VT | 7 | 3.0 | $52,000 | not matched | — |
| MI | 7 | 4.6 | $53,719 | exam | Bulk Milk Sampler/Hauler |
| AK | 7 | 1.3 | $131,444 | not matched | — |
| CO | 6 | 14.5 | $86,126 | exam | Certified Weigher's License; Egg Seller |
| MA | 5 | 12.0 | $70,133 | not matched | — |
| TN | 4 | 110.0 | $19,318 | not matched | — |
| SD | 4 | 1.5 | $72,667 | licence | Dairy Fieldman; Milk & Cream Tester, Sampler & Grader |
| HI | 3 | 46.3 | $62,338 | not matched | — |
| IL | 3 | 4.3 | $34,846 | exam | CERTIFIED LIVESTOCK MANAGER; LIVESTOCK AUCTION MARKET OPERATOR |
| MO | 3 | 6.7 | $31,000 | exam | Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Prod |
| WV | 3 | 6.7 | $59,150 | not matched | — |
| MD | 3 | 2.3 | $55,714 | not matched | — |
Axes are shown side by side and deliberately NOT collapsed into a ranking. A composite would be a score with no measured interval, and an unmeasured score is the thing this product exists to argue against. A high licence gate is a cost to enter and a moat once cleared — which of those matters more is the operator's call, not ours.
Licence data courtesy of CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Free to read, no account, always — a condition of the data licence as well as our own position.