Where is it easiest to open: Painting and Wall Covering 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 | 4,866 | 6.8 | $57,957 | licence | Pile Driving/Pressure Foundation Jacki; Solar Contractor |
| FL | 4,408 | 4.0 | $45,303 | exam | Certified Solar Contractor; Certified Utility & Excavation Contrac |
| NY | 2,566 | 4.1 | $58,373 | not matched | — |
| WA | 1,802 | 5.1 | $55,940 | licence | Mining Engineer |
| IL | 1,466 | 4.1 | $66,767 | licence | FOREMAN; GENERAL SURFACE SUPERVISOR |
| TX | 1,389 | 11.2 | $58,388 | not matched | — |
| PA | 1,144 | 5.3 | $60,852 | licence | Asbestos Supervisor |
| OR | 1,084 | 4.5 | $51,139 | licence | Apprentice Plumber (Speciality), Solar |
| MA | 1,068 | 3.8 | $66,566 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 1,046 | 3.9 | $64,784 | not matched | — |
| NC | 1,042 | 3.8 | $50,807 | licence | Mining |
| CO | 990 | 3.7 | $57,727 | not matched | — |
| VA | 947 | 6.2 | $46,437 | not matched | — |
| MI | 945 | 4.4 | $60,355 | not matched | — |
| OH | 930 | 5.1 | $61,912 | not matched | — |
| GA | 880 | 3.7 | $59,333 | exam | Utility Contractor; Utility Foreman |
| MN | 755 | 4.8 | $64,564 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 691 | 7.5 | $53,845 | not matched | — |
| WI | 686 | 4.4 | $56,174 | licence | UTILITY CONTRACTOR |
| MD | 677 | 6.1 | $58,849 | not matched | — |
| UT | 636 | 5.3 | $46,133 | not matched | — |
| IN | 593 | 5.6 | $56,477 | not matched | — |
| MO | 574 | 6.7 | $60,783 | not matched | — |
| ID | 523 | 4.5 | $42,914 | not matched | — |
| SC | 429 | 3.6 | $47,733 | not matched | — |
| CT | 418 | 3.7 | $61,661 | exam | Electrical Limited Solar Contractor; Electrical Limited Solar Journeyperson |
| TN | 372 | 6.5 | $56,614 | not matched | — |
| KS | 345 | 4.5 | $45,883 | not matched | — |
| NE | 286 | 5.3 | $47,599 | licence | Mining & Mineral Engineer |
| NV | 269 | 7.8 | $48,242 | not matched | — |
| AL | 263 | 5.5 | $53,426 | not matched | — |
| MT | 260 | 3.7 | $49,419 | licence | Surface Coal Mining Blasters |
| ME | 259 | 3.2 | $48,479 | not matched | — |
| OK | 254 | 5.2 | $46,523 | licence | Mine Fire Boss (Underground); Mine Foreman (Underground) |
| KY | 249 | 4.4 | $54,754 | exam | Assistant Mine Foreman; Certified Surface Miner |
| IA | 243 | 5.6 | $50,522 | not matched | — |
| NH | 216 | 4.0 | $69,107 | not matched | — |
| LA | 215 | 14.0 | $48,507 | not matched | — |
| RI | 192 | 3.7 | $57,217 | not matched | — |
| AR | 158 | 6.1 | $42,403 | not matched | — |
| HI | 155 | 9.4 | $63,795 | not matched | — |
| VT | 153 | 3.4 | $51,012 | exam | Asbestos Supervisor; Contractor, Residential |
| NM | 137 | 9.5 | $41,613 | not matched | — |
| DE | 116 | 5.7 | $57,674 | not matched | — |
| SD | 111 | 4.4 | $45,665 | not matched | — |
| AK | 103 | 2.8 | $65,408 | licence | Engineer- Chemical, Civil, Electrical, |
| ND | 90 | 4.4 | $47,612 | not matched | — |
| WY | 82 | 5.1 | $53,319 | not matched | — |
| MS | 77 | 5.4 | $43,443 | not matched | — |
| WV | 47 | 6.5 | $61,349 | not matched | — |
| DC | 12 | 10.4 | $52,000 | 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.