Where is it easiest to open: Framing Contractors
50 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 | 970 | 21.0 | $61,492 | licence | Pile Driving/Pressure Foundation Jacki; Solar Contractor |
| FL | 821 | 5.3 | $45,429 | exam | Certified Solar Contractor; Certified Utility & Excavation Contrac |
| WA | 729 | 7.3 | $60,980 | licence | Mining Engineer |
| TX | 556 | 6.6 | $69,094 | not matched | — |
| NY | 544 | 4.3 | $56,962 | not matched | — |
| ID | 516 | 5.1 | $43,869 | not matched | — |
| CO | 481 | 3.5 | $62,003 | not matched | — |
| UT | 465 | 5.7 | $45,102 | not matched | — |
| NC | 386 | 3.0 | $59,177 | licence | Mining |
| MN | 372 | 6.9 | $57,949 | not matched | — |
| MA | 333 | 3.8 | $59,559 | not matched | — |
| IL | 328 | 8.6 | $66,044 | licence | FOREMAN; GENERAL SURFACE SUPERVISOR |
| PA | 291 | 4.6 | $59,798 | licence | Asbestos Supervisor |
| MI | 279 | 5.2 | $52,678 | not matched | — |
| VA | 275 | 5.2 | $55,144 | not matched | — |
| OH | 264 | 6.9 | $60,036 | not matched | — |
| WI | 263 | 6.7 | $57,392 | licence | UTILITY CONTRACTOR |
| NJ | 251 | 5.1 | $67,201 | not matched | — |
| OR | 245 | 6.7 | $57,629 | licence | Apprentice Plumber (Speciality), Solar |
| IN | 241 | 5.3 | $51,346 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 221 | 17.4 | $64,261 | not matched | — |
| MT | 191 | 3.7 | $48,677 | licence | Surface Coal Mining Blasters |
| NE | 182 | 4.5 | $48,578 | licence | Mining & Mineral Engineer |
| MO | 180 | 7.6 | $55,930 | not matched | — |
| GA | 172 | 3.3 | $65,359 | exam | Utility Contractor; Utility Foreman |
| MD | 156 | 6.5 | $63,362 | not matched | — |
| IA | 154 | 4.7 | $54,214 | not matched | — |
| SC | 135 | 2.7 | $66,794 | not matched | — |
| KS | 119 | 4.5 | $46,476 | not matched | — |
| TN | 102 | 3.5 | $54,239 | not matched | — |
| NH | 92 | 5.8 | $66,596 | not matched | — |
| NV | 88 | 41.5 | $55,911 | not matched | — |
| SD | 80 | 5.0 | $52,885 | not matched | — |
| OK | 70 | 3.1 | $41,628 | licence | Mine Fire Boss (Underground); Mine Foreman (Underground) |
| CT | 70 | 7.0 | $66,546 | exam | Electrical Limited Solar Contractor; Electrical Limited Solar Journeyperson |
| ND | 67 | 4.6 | $59,395 | not matched | — |
| KY | 67 | 5.7 | $43,478 | exam | Assistant Mine Foreman; Certified Surface Miner |
| ME | 64 | 2.3 | $46,477 | not matched | — |
| AK | 60 | 3.4 | $50,647 | licence | Engineer- Chemical, Civil, Electrical, |
| VT | 57 | 3.7 | $49,777 | exam | Asbestos Supervisor; Contractor, Residential |
| AL | 52 | 3.7 | $46,057 | not matched | — |
| WY | 47 | 3.2 | $68,539 | not matched | — |
| RI | 46 | 9.9 | $77,430 | not matched | — |
| DE | 40 | 6.4 | $64,735 | not matched | — |
| LA | 34 | 3.9 | $55,045 | not matched | — |
| NM | 34 | 8.3 | $42,527 | not matched | — |
| AR | 29 | 2.9 | $43,524 | not matched | — |
| HI | 17 | 33.9 | $75,504 | not matched | — |
| MS | 9 | 2.3 | $43,857 | not matched | — |
| WV | 7 | 3.7 | $18,115 | 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.