Where is it easiest to open: Other Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior 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 | 718 | 8.0 | $75,846 | licence | Pile Driving/Pressure Foundation Jacki; Solar Contractor |
| TX | 674 | 12.0 | $71,996 | not matched | — |
| FL | 553 | 6.9 | $50,352 | exam | Certified Solar Contractor; Certified Utility & Excavation Contrac |
| NY | 220 | 9.3 | $88,690 | not matched | — |
| CO | 190 | 6.6 | $63,534 | not matched | — |
| IL | 189 | 5.2 | $78,672 | licence | FOREMAN; GENERAL SURFACE SUPERVISOR |
| NC | 187 | 9.6 | $82,739 | licence | Mining |
| PA | 166 | 6.1 | $70,125 | licence | Asbestos Supervisor |
| WA | 145 | 6.8 | $80,571 | licence | Mining Engineer |
| AZ | 137 | 10.9 | $68,223 | not matched | — |
| MD | 136 | 8.8 | $75,065 | not matched | — |
| UT | 135 | 4.8 | $62,983 | not matched | — |
| VA | 130 | 5.5 | $65,698 | not matched | — |
| GA | 128 | 7.9 | $68,254 | exam | Utility Contractor; Utility Foreman |
| NJ | 124 | 8.9 | $70,950 | not matched | — |
| SC | 117 | 8.0 | $72,068 | not matched | — |
| MI | 100 | 5.2 | $71,677 | not matched | — |
| MA | 98 | 9.7 | $82,426 | not matched | — |
| LA | 79 | 8.5 | $42,145 | not matched | — |
| OK | 72 | 8.8 | $53,769 | licence | Mine Fire Boss (Underground); Mine Foreman (Underground) |
| ID | 72 | 3.9 | $54,410 | not matched | — |
| OH | 71 | 7.6 | $68,554 | not matched | — |
| MO | 67 | 6.0 | $62,709 | not matched | — |
| CT | 66 | 10.5 | $80,841 | exam | Electrical Limited Solar Contractor; Electrical Limited Solar Journeyperson |
| MN | 62 | 7.2 | $80,555 | not matched | — |
| IN | 59 | 11.5 | $95,172 | not matched | — |
| NM | 54 | 5.6 | $57,934 | not matched | — |
| TN | 53 | 12.0 | $62,848 | not matched | — |
| AL | 50 | 8.5 | $56,429 | not matched | — |
| WI | 42 | 7.4 | $86,689 | licence | UTILITY CONTRACTOR |
| NV | 40 | 7.7 | $62,909 | not matched | — |
| OR | 31 | 5.5 | $57,890 | licence | Apprentice Plumber (Speciality), Solar |
| NH | 30 | 12.4 | $87,065 | not matched | — |
| MS | 28 | 7.6 | $53,775 | not matched | — |
| MT | 25 | 14.6 | $78,643 | licence | Surface Coal Mining Blasters |
| KS | 25 | 7.4 | $82,546 | not matched | — |
| WY | 24 | 7.9 | $86,068 | not matched | — |
| ME | 21 | 8.6 | $62,735 | not matched | — |
| AR | 21 | 12.5 | $59,544 | not matched | — |
| NE | 17 | 4.8 | $46,610 | licence | Mining & Mineral Engineer |
| KY | 17 | 4.1 | $58,696 | exam | Assistant Mine Foreman; Certified Surface Miner |
| IA | 16 | 3.4 | $67,527 | not matched | — |
| HI | 16 | 5.2 | $73,831 | not matched | — |
| DE | 14 | 12.0 | $58,696 | not matched | — |
| AK | 14 | 2.9 | $100,805 | licence | Engineer- Chemical, Civil, Electrical, |
| ND | 13 | 6.9 | $98,433 | not matched | — |
| WV | 11 | 8.3 | $72,648 | not matched | — |
| RI | 9 | 14.9 | $95,522 | not matched | — |
| SD | 9 | 1.2 | $138,273 | not matched | — |
| VT | 6 | 2.0 | $36,917 | exam | Asbestos Supervisor; Contractor, Residential |
| DC | 4 | 9.0 | $44,972 | 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.