Where is it easiest to open: Drilling Oil and Gas Wells
24 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 47-1011” (soc) for First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers. 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 | 520 | 51.1 | $107,888 | not matched | — |
| OK | 126 | 40.2 | $90,434 | licence | Mine Fire Boss (Underground); Mine Foreman (Underground) |
| LA | 108 | 28.7 | $97,397 | not matched | — |
| CO | 62 | 25.2 | $97,212 | not matched | — |
| WY | 61 | 27.6 | $121,020 | not matched | — |
| KS | 58 | 14.8 | $58,599 | not matched | — |
| CA | 38 | 46.1 | $73,150 | licence | Pile Driving/Pressure Foundation Jacki; Solar Contractor |
| ND | 35 | 69.3 | $108,378 | not matched | — |
| NM | 30 | 51.3 | $94,841 | not matched | — |
| UT | 29 | 12.8 | $81,735 | not matched | — |
| MS | 28 | 15.9 | $65,830 | not matched | — |
| PA | 26 | 21.5 | $106,200 | licence | Asbestos Supervisor |
| MT | 17 | 7.2 | $158,418 | licence | Surface Coal Mining Blasters |
| IL | 13 | 14.7 | $61,764 | licence | FOREMAN; GENERAL SURFACE SUPERVISOR |
| FL | 12 | 4.8 | $41,404 | exam | Certified Solar Contractor; Certified Utility & Excavation Contrac |
| WV | 12 | 25.2 | $130,692 | not matched | — |
| AR | 9 | 8.0 | $59,917 | not matched | — |
| MI | 9 | 20.2 | $62,846 | not matched | — |
| AK | 8 | 101.1 | $124,153 | licence | Engineer- Chemical, Civil, Electrical, |
| KY | 7 | 7.7 | $61,556 | exam | Assistant Mine Foreman; Certified Surface Miner |
| OH | 7 | 106.7 | $82,071 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 5 | 2.2 | $45,818 | not matched | — |
| VA | 4 | 29.0 | $73,603 | not matched | — |
| NE | 3 | 7.3 | $83,727 | licence | Mining & Mineral 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.