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Where is it easiest to open: New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders)
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 11-9021” (soc) for Construction Managers. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 7,224 | 4.6 | $66,577 | licence | B-2 – Residential Remodeling Contracto; Central Vacuum Systems Limited Special |
| TX | 4,758 | 4.1 | $74,841 | exam | MOLD ASSESSMENT TECHNICIAN / CONSULTAN |
| FL | 4,411 | 4.2 | $64,833 | exam | Certified Building Contractor; Certified General Contractor |
| NC | 3,579 | 3.4 | $60,730 | exam | CAMA General Permit (Coastal Area Mana; Fuel Piping Contractor |
| WA | 3,242 | 3.8 | $64,674 | not matched | — |
| NY | 2,918 | 3.3 | $64,177 | not matched | — |
| OR | 2,795 | 3.1 | $55,492 | licence | Licensed Contractor |
| GA | 1,809 | 3.0 | $77,308 | exam | General Contractor Individual; General Contractor Limited Tier CO |
| NJ | 1,785 | 3.0 | $60,171 | exam | HOME REPAIR CONTRACTOR |
| UT | 1,482 | 3.9 | $54,098 | licence | CONTRACTOR |
| VA | 1,388 | 4.0 | $63,453 | exam | Contractor License (Class A, B, and C); Contractor Temporary License |
| MI | 1,368 | 4.2 | $63,109 | exam | Residential Maintenance and Alteration; Sign Specialty Contractor |
| PA | 1,339 | 5.5 | $80,858 | not matched | — |
| CO | 1,331 | 3.9 | $76,216 | not matched | — |
| IL | 1,292 | 2.6 | $55,305 | licence | ASBESTOS PROJECT MANAGER; CLOSED LOOP WELL CONTRACTOR |
| MN | 1,169 | 3.3 | $64,180 | licence | Residential Building Contractor/Remode; Residential Building Contractor/Remode |
| MT | 1,056 | 3.1 | $60,316 | licence | Contractors; Electrician - Contractor |
| ID | 1,018 | 3.4 | $53,774 | exam | Public Works Construction Managers; Public Works Contractors |
| WI | 993 | 3.5 | $58,311 | exam | CONTRACTOR, Dwelling; DWELLING CONTRACTOR |
| OH | 969 | 4.3 | $61,968 | exam | Electrical Contractor; HVAC Certificate |
| SC | 949 | 4.3 | $62,336 | licence | Certificate of Authorization; General Contractor |
| AZ | 941 | 5.0 | $66,137 | not matched | — |
| IN | 938 | 3.8 | $57,236 | not matched | — |
| TN | 864 | 4.0 | $65,641 | not matched | — |
| MA | 861 | 4.0 | $81,846 | exam | CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISOR; HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTOR |
| MO | 791 | 4.3 | $51,075 | licence | Electrical Contractor |
| IA | 628 | 3.0 | $53,691 | exam | Asbestos Abatement Contractor/Supervis; Asbestos Management Planner |
| ME | 560 | 4.0 | $58,427 | not matched | — |
| AL | 531 | 4.5 | $61,846 | exam | Licensed General Contractor; License Home Builder |
| AR | 492 | 3.1 | $73,271 | exam | Commercial Contractor; Registered Commerical Subcontractor |
| MD | 434 | 5.3 | $74,452 | licence | HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTOR; HOME IMPROVEMENT INACTIVE CONTRACTOR |
| KS | 422 | 3.5 | $55,227 | not matched | — |
| SD | 400 | 3.3 | $52,953 | licence | Appliance Contractor |
| OK | 385 | 3.3 | $64,790 | licence | Wrecker Service Operator |
| LA | 385 | 3.6 | $56,841 | licence | Contractor |
| WV | 379 | 3.8 | $40,747 | not matched | — |
| NE | 370 | 3.1 | $54,561 | licence | Contractor/Sub-contractor |
| NH | 360 | 4.4 | $72,372 | not matched | — |
| NM | 349 | 3.4 | $47,928 | not matched | — |
| KY | 337 | 4.0 | $67,103 | not matched | — |
| VT | 320 | 4.1 | $58,573 | not matched | — |
| CT | 312 | 4.1 | $85,559 | licence | Major Contractor; New Home Construction Contractor |
| NV | 279 | 7.6 | $77,727 | not matched | — |
| HI | 264 | 7.0 | $77,889 | licence | Contractor |
| WY | 257 | 4.7 | $64,026 | not matched | — |
| MS | 224 | 3.4 | $46,801 | licence | Access Flooring; Acoustical And Drywall Treatment |
| RI | 211 | 5.3 | $74,475 | exam | Lead-Safe Remodeler/Renovator |
| AK | 182 | 3.1 | $62,548 | licence | Contractor, Construction; Contractor in Municipality of Anchorag |
| ND | 181 | 3.6 | $62,607 | exam | Contractors; Contractors, Geothermal |
| DE | 175 | 5.4 | $72,849 | not matched | — |
| DC | 17 | 7.5 | $136,453 | exam | Construction Managers |
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.