Where is it easiest to open: Roofing Contractors
51 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 | 2,919 | 8.2 | $72,049 | licence | Pile Driving/Pressure Foundation Jacki; Solar Contractor |
| TX | 2,370 | 6.6 | $73,453 | not matched | — |
| FL | 2,201 | 13.6 | $54,651 | exam | Certified Solar Contractor; Certified Utility & Excavation Contrac |
| IL | 983 | 6.2 | $91,498 | licence | FOREMAN; GENERAL SURFACE SUPERVISOR |
| WA | 979 | 9.2 | $68,428 | licence | Mining Engineer |
| CO | 904 | 6.1 | $76,422 | not matched | — |
| OH | 878 | 8.3 | $75,952 | not matched | — |
| PA | 858 | 11.3 | $78,390 | licence | Asbestos Supervisor |
| NY | 813 | 7.3 | $79,871 | not matched | — |
| NC | 775 | 7.7 | $70,310 | licence | Mining |
| GA | 736 | 6.1 | $77,756 | exam | Utility Contractor; Utility Foreman |
| AZ | 536 | 13.6 | $61,625 | not matched | — |
| OR | 510 | 9.4 | $61,098 | licence | Apprentice Plumber (Speciality), Solar |
| IN | 508 | 10.2 | $69,746 | not matched | — |
| MN | 499 | 7.5 | $100,893 | not matched | — |
| VA | 496 | 8.3 | $65,248 | not matched | — |
| WI | 473 | 7.7 | $73,758 | licence | UTILITY CONTRACTOR |
| MI | 467 | 10.4 | $84,933 | not matched | — |
| MO | 449 | 9.1 | $72,317 | not matched | — |
| MA | 431 | 7.6 | $93,521 | not matched | — |
| TN | 385 | 10.9 | $84,995 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 374 | 8.3 | $78,552 | not matched | — |
| OK | 371 | 5.7 | $64,259 | licence | Mine Fire Boss (Underground); Mine Foreman (Underground) |
| UT | 347 | 9.5 | $57,154 | not matched | — |
| MD | 336 | 11.9 | $74,344 | not matched | — |
| AL | 288 | 6.6 | $66,939 | not matched | — |
| SC | 287 | 7.7 | $65,532 | not matched | — |
| ID | 272 | 5.9 | $61,464 | not matched | — |
| KS | 246 | 8.6 | $71,147 | not matched | — |
| LA | 236 | 6.7 | $62,612 | not matched | — |
| IA | 235 | 7.4 | $72,565 | not matched | — |
| NE | 223 | 6.9 | $65,052 | licence | Mining & Mineral Engineer |
| KY | 219 | 8.5 | $67,261 | exam | Assistant Mine Foreman; Certified Surface Miner |
| AR | 210 | 8.9 | $63,542 | not matched | — |
| NM | 191 | 8.2 | $53,789 | not matched | — |
| CT | 176 | 7.7 | $81,494 | exam | Electrical Limited Solar Contractor; Electrical Limited Solar Journeyperson |
| MT | 135 | 4.2 | $61,018 | licence | Surface Coal Mining Blasters |
| NV | 116 | 20.3 | $66,216 | not matched | — |
| ME | 103 | 7.4 | $66,688 | not matched | — |
| HI | 95 | 11.5 | $61,842 | not matched | — |
| MS | 85 | 9.8 | $63,319 | not matched | — |
| VT | 82 | 3.7 | $61,392 | exam | Asbestos Supervisor; Contractor, Residential |
| SD | 81 | 5.6 | $71,267 | not matched | — |
| RI | 79 | 4.5 | $71,711 | not matched | — |
| WV | 79 | 8.5 | $58,546 | not matched | — |
| WY | 75 | 4.3 | $68,801 | not matched | — |
| NH | 70 | 7.7 | $97,167 | not matched | — |
| DE | 67 | 12.8 | $77,802 | not matched | — |
| AK | 65 | 6.8 | $113,672 | licence | Engineer- Chemical, Civil, Electrical, |
| ND | 54 | 7.4 | $79,584 | not matched | — |
| DC | 6 | 17.7 | $75,783 | 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.