Where is it easiest to open: Structural Steel and Precast Concrete Contractors
48 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 497 | 22.0 | $76,089 | licence | Pile Driving/Pressure Foundation Jacki; Solar Contractor |
| TX | 338 | 25.9 | $64,865 | not matched | — |
| FL | 205 | 17.7 | $56,542 | exam | Certified Solar Contractor; Certified Utility & Excavation Contrac |
| NY | 204 | 15.8 | $94,407 | not matched | — |
| IL | 110 | 16.9 | $95,417 | licence | FOREMAN; GENERAL SURFACE SUPERVISOR |
| AZ | 109 | 24.7 | $78,105 | not matched | — |
| CO | 108 | 20.1 | $84,894 | not matched | — |
| WA | 105 | 21.6 | $85,130 | licence | Mining Engineer |
| NC | 93 | 15.3 | $76,468 | licence | Mining |
| GA | 83 | 22.0 | $70,818 | exam | Utility Contractor; Utility Foreman |
| NJ | 81 | 18.1 | $97,469 | not matched | — |
| OH | 81 | 27.3 | $69,707 | not matched | — |
| PA | 80 | 18.3 | $87,926 | licence | Asbestos Supervisor |
| UT | 70 | 29.8 | $71,826 | not matched | — |
| MA | 63 | 26.1 | $86,423 | not matched | — |
| TN | 61 | 40.0 | $87,717 | not matched | — |
| MD | 53 | 20.1 | $68,673 | not matched | — |
| NV | 52 | 27.0 | $80,413 | not matched | — |
| MI | 47 | 21.6 | $72,828 | not matched | — |
| OK | 43 | 27.1 | $80,757 | licence | Mine Fire Boss (Underground); Mine Foreman (Underground) |
| VA | 40 | 29.9 | $77,242 | not matched | — |
| OR | 37 | 20.7 | $74,767 | licence | Apprentice Plumber (Speciality), Solar |
| MN | 34 | 32.4 | $116,701 | not matched | — |
| LA | 33 | 26.6 | $85,925 | not matched | — |
| AL | 32 | 16.4 | $67,437 | not matched | — |
| SC | 30 | 12.8 | $62,407 | not matched | — |
| IN | 30 | 14.5 | $79,993 | not matched | — |
| CT | 26 | 12.9 | $89,533 | exam | Electrical Limited Solar Contractor; Electrical Limited Solar Journeyperson |
| HI | 23 | 14.2 | $90,920 | not matched | — |
| ID | 23 | 9.1 | $61,119 | not matched | — |
| AR | 22 | 97.9 | $68,308 | not matched | — |
| MO | 20 | 16.4 | $54,137 | not matched | — |
| KS | 19 | 9.7 | $60,087 | not matched | — |
| DE | 18 | 13.0 | $67,397 | not matched | — |
| WI | 18 | 22.3 | $92,925 | licence | UTILITY CONTRACTOR |
| NH | 14 | 20.5 | $86,429 | not matched | — |
| IA | 13 | 24.7 | $78,131 | not matched | — |
| KY | 12 | 38.3 | $79,987 | exam | Assistant Mine Foreman; Certified Surface Miner |
| MS | 11 | 7.8 | $45,360 | not matched | — |
| RI | 11 | 10.3 | $94,965 | not matched | — |
| AK | 10 | 4.0 | $168,625 | licence | Engineer- Chemical, Civil, Electrical, |
| MT | 8 | 7.9 | $60,889 | licence | Surface Coal Mining Blasters |
| NM | 7 | 16.1 | $53,743 | not matched | — |
| DC | 4 | 11.8 | $40,298 | not matched | — |
| NE | 4 | 39.2 | $85,656 | licence | Mining & Mineral Engineer |
| VT | 3 | 21.3 | $79,688 | exam | Asbestos Supervisor; Contractor, Residential |
| ME | 3 | 5.7 | $50,294 | not matched | — |
| WY | 3 | 12.7 | $57,579 | 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.