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Where is it easiest to open: Natural Gas Extraction
17 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 17-2171” (soc) for Petroleum Engineers. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TX | 407 | 21.5 | $214,368 | licence | ENGINEER, PROFESSIONAL; PODIATRIST |
| OK | 138 | 21.3 | $153,756 | licence | Engineer Intern |
| PA | 77 | 38.1 | $223,599 | exam | Professional Engineer |
| LA | 59 | 14.6 | $132,648 | exam | Engineer, Professional |
| WV | 50 | 23.4 | $116,364 | not matched | — |
| CO | 50 | 33.5 | $239,490 | exam | Engineer Intern; Professional Engineer |
| OH | 47 | 16.4 | $91,131 | licence | Professional Engineer; Professional Engineers and Surveyors |
| NM | 39 | 30.5 | $140,795 | exam | Engineering Intern Certification; Professional Engineers |
| WY | 17 | 25.4 | $156,894 | exam | ENGINEER |
| KY | 16 | 25.3 | $66,667 | exam | Hoist Engineer; Professional Engineer |
| CA | 12 | 24.8 | $140,765 | licence | Engineer In Training (E.I.T.); General Engineering Contractor |
| AR | 9 | 9.8 | $71,591 | exam | Engineer Intern; Professional Engineer |
| MI | 8 | 6.1 | $97,306 | exam | Engineer, Licensed Professional; Stationary Engineer |
| ND | 7 | 66.9 | $149,571 | exam | Engineers |
| AZ | 4 | 2.5 | $97,000 | licence | Engineer/Petroleum |
| UT | 3 | 46.0 | $137,094 | licence | PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER |
| KS | 3 | 18.0 | $122,704 | exam | Professional Engineer |
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.