Where is it easiest to open: Finish Carpentry Contractors
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 47-2131” (soc) for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FL | 4,076 | 4.7 | $43,844 | exam | Asbestos Consultant; Asbestos Consultant (AF) |
| CA | 2,764 | 7.1 | $64,765 | licence | Asbestos Certification; Asbestos Consultant Certification |
| NY | 2,667 | 4.2 | $63,561 | exam | Asbestos Handler |
| TX | 1,362 | 7.9 | $58,715 | exam | ASBESTOS-RELATED WORKER (Various) |
| IL | 1,231 | 4.3 | $71,889 | licence | ASBESTOS AIR SAMPLING PROFESSIONAL; ASBESTOS CONTRACTOR |
| NC | 1,089 | 4.5 | $51,056 | licence | Asbestos Accreditation |
| PA | 1,062 | 6.2 | $63,690 | licence | Asbestos Contractor (Individual); Asbestos Project Designer |
| WA | 1,039 | 5.6 | $66,260 | not matched | — |
| CO | 1,006 | 3.7 | $62,894 | exam | Asbestos Project Designer; Asbestos Worker |
| MA | 979 | 4.3 | $69,645 | licence | ASBESTOS WORKER |
| NJ | 904 | 5.1 | $68,241 | licence | ASBESTOS SAFETY TECHNICIAN; ASBESTOS WORKER PERMIT |
| OH | 815 | 6.3 | $61,219 | not matched | — |
| MI | 735 | 5.6 | $59,520 | licence | Asbestos Abatement Contractor/Supervis; Asbestos Abatement Project Designer |
| GA | 701 | 7.2 | $61,165 | not matched | — |
| MN | 698 | 5.3 | $61,786 | licence | Asbestos Contractor License; Asbestos Individual Certification (Ins |
| UT | 687 | 5.1 | $51,856 | not matched | — |
| VA | 671 | 5.4 | $60,133 | licence | Asbestos Contractor License; Asbestos Project Designer License |
| AZ | 636 | 8.5 | $62,118 | not matched | — |
| WI | 614 | 6.5 | $68,458 | licence | ASBESTOS PROJECT DESIGNER; ASBESTOS ROOFING WORKER |
| IN | 513 | 6.1 | $58,951 | not matched | — |
| MD | 505 | 8.5 | $71,244 | licence | Asbestos Designer; Asbestos Worker |
| MO | 491 | 7.2 | $65,208 | not matched | — |
| OR | 491 | 5.3 | $57,189 | not matched | — |
| SC | 434 | 4.7 | $56,356 | not matched | — |
| TN | 406 | 6.1 | $59,953 | not matched | — |
| ID | 369 | 4.4 | $47,790 | not matched | — |
| CT | 319 | 5.8 | $51,063 | licence | Asbestos Abatement Worker; Asbestos Contractor |
| IA | 299 | 4.8 | $57,036 | not matched | — |
| NE | 278 | 4.8 | $50,101 | licence | Asbestos Worker |
| OK | 257 | 6.3 | $50,620 | not matched | — |
| MT | 249 | 2.5 | $50,124 | not matched | — |
| ME | 247 | 3.1 | $57,508 | not matched | — |
| NV | 230 | 10.1 | $60,964 | not matched | — |
| AL | 220 | 5.2 | $49,501 | not matched | — |
| KS | 219 | 6.4 | $57,021 | not matched | — |
| LA | 214 | 6.4 | $51,945 | not matched | — |
| KY | 195 | 5.0 | $53,534 | not matched | — |
| RI | 176 | 5.9 | $71,759 | not matched | — |
| AR | 171 | 5.9 | $40,545 | exam | Asbestos Abatement Contractor or Abate; Asbestos Abatement Worker |
| NH | 161 | 5.1 | $77,245 | exam | Asbestos Abatement Worker; Asbestos Disposal Site Worker |
| DE | 122 | 5.9 | $55,926 | licence | Asbestos Abatement Worker (Class A); Asbestos Abatement Worker (Class B Lim |
| SD | 114 | 3.9 | $52,050 | licence | Asbestos Abatement Contractor; Asbestos Abatement Project Designer |
| NM | 113 | 5.4 | $49,731 | not matched | — |
| VT | 102 | 2.5 | $51,832 | licence | Contractor, Residential |
| HI | 101 | 8.6 | $76,307 | not matched | — |
| ND | 86 | 5.1 | $56,034 | not matched | — |
| AK | 84 | 4.9 | $69,346 | licence | Asbestos Removal Worker |
| MS | 75 | 5.3 | $45,485 | not matched | — |
| WY | 59 | 4.1 | $62,246 | not matched | — |
| WV | 40 | 5.2 | $60,257 | not matched | — |
| DC | 13 | 11.4 | $54,176 | 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.